HAUNTED
by lunaryu
Summary: ... That time Rouji has to wear a skirt to investigate a haunting in all girls' school by infiltrating as a new transfer student, much to Muhyo's sadistic glee and Nana's blatant amusement. Muhyo/Rouji Chap.3 UP
1. Haunting 1

**Haunted**

 **Fandom:** Muhyo & Rouji Bureau of Supernatural Investigation (Muhyo to Rouji no Mahouritsu Soudan Jimusho)

 **Rating:** Pg-15 / T

 **Genre:** Supernatural/Humor/Romance

 **Characters and Pairing:** Muhyo Toru/Kusano Jirou (Rouji), appearance of Nana, Yoichi, Kenji, Imai, and OCS (for the case), also mentions of other characters in M&R series

 **Summary:** _Muhyo and Rouji are asked to investigate a haunting in a school. Problem is, their client—the school principal, wants them to investigate quietly since the school reputation is at stake. And with massive paparazzi's latest attention to the 'haunting rumor', Muhyo and Rouji can't move as freely as they used to. Moreover, the school which they are about to investigate is an all girls' school! How are they going to solve this case this time?_

Or,

 _That time Rouji has to wear a skirt to investigate an all girls' school by infiltrating as a new transfer student, much to Muhyo's sadistic glee and Nana's blatant amusement._

* * *

 **A/N:** I can't believe I actually wrote this. But _damn it_ , I was completely hooked (lined and sunk) by this series. I actually couldn't stop myself reading the entire 19 volumes of _tankoubon_ instead of waiting for the anime like a normal person (yes, I read all the books in one go, can't you believe it?) But oh my god, all the _shounen ai_ undertones in this supposedly _shonen_ series are blatantly nagging my mind every time I read some vague sentences about Muhyo & Rouji's dynamic and interaction (and the artwork! I can't help thinking impure thoughts whenever the characters, especially Rouji, moan in pain _every single time_. Seriously, it looks a lot like he's _enjoying_ it with the way he blushes! My god!). Worse, even Muhyo's teacher ships them so bad he calls their connection 'inseparable red strings of fate'. I am _NOT_ exaggerating. It's in manga canon, holy shit!

Ahem. So, because I finished the books and I really, _really_ like the characters and the series theme, I decided to make an appreciation fic for this series. I know, the fandom is quite minor right now, but regardless, I LOVE IT, and maybe if some of you read this fic and find it 'interesting' at least, you'll consider following this series as well (the anime is new, but the manga series is done, so no hanging there, dear readers).

 **Disclaimer:** Muhyo & Rouji Bureau of Supernatural Investigation © Yoshiyuki Nishi

 **Warning:** _Some spoiler of the entire series (if you only watch the anime, since the setting of this fic is after the series), shounen ai or male/male relationship (in roundabout, humorous way, hopefully more humors instead of fluffs, but I am a sap, so… there might be fluff galore ahead *grins*), supernatural and general horror/haunting stuff, magical law and some their terminologies (which will be explained in after notes hopefully, if I don't forget), original characters (minor), etc… will be added as the story progresses._

This fan fiction shan't be more than few chapters… five tops, _maybe_. Well, if you want to give it a try, please proceed!

* * *

 **Haunted**

 **© lunaryu~**

 **Haunting 1:** _ **The New Case**_

* * *

It started with a phone call in Monday morning at the office.

Kusano Jirou, a. k. a. _Rouji_ to most their friends and acquaintances, a 17 year old boy with warm amber eyes and messy blond hair, happily answered the phone, hoping they would get a new case so there would be decent income to pay for their next meal without him having to scrap the bottom of their refrigerator _again_.

"Good morning, Muhyo and Rouji's Magic Law Consultation Office, may I help you?" With cheery voice, as unsuspecting as he usually was, he greeted the potential client on the other line.

There was a throat clearing sound before a baritone voice replied. _"Um, this is from St. Patricia Senior High School. I'd like to schedule a meeting between our school principal and the owner of your office?"_ The inflation of his tone at the end of his sentence told Rouji of his slight hesitation.

"Ah, that can be arranged. Whom am I speaking to?" Rouji asked, glancing slightly at the other side of the room where Muhyo's bed was situated. His younger boss was still sound asleep on it and Rouji had to smile softly seeing Muhyo's serene expression when he was in deep slumber. He was kind of _cute_ when he wasn't throwing insults at Rouji's intelligence, or glaring, or sneering, or making creepy laughing noise.

 _Basically, he's only adorable when he's calm and quiet—_ Rouji's sweat dropped slightly at his rude thought. Well, Muhyo would probably kick him in the butt if he knew that Rouji even considered him _cute_ , despite the discrepancy of his appearance and his age.

Muhyo's age was a bit of a mystery to even Rouji considering all his accomplishments, but he guessed he was no older than 15, even though Muhyo did look like he was still a child in elementary year after all, with short, small body and round face, big baby blue eyes and ebony hair that was shaped like a rooster' behind, or what Kenji dubbed as an onion head.

 _But Rooster head is funnier_ —Rouji couldn't help snickering quietly behind his hand, so as not to be heard by the person on the other line of the phone.

"Ah, pardon my rudeness," the voice in his earpiece brought Rouji back from his hilarious musing. "I am Wakashima Ryo, the principal's secretary. Am I speaking to the office owner?"

"No. I am Kusano Jirou, nicknamed Rouji, the owner's _assistant_ , Wakashima-san." Rouji introduced himself proudly, rather beaming, actually, especially after his promotion from the second rank to the first rank assistant a few months back. "When will be good time for the principal to meet my employer in our office?" He asked further, deciding to be to the point if the principal wanted to be their client. They had to meet first and their office would be private and comfortable enough to 'consult' the client's problem.

"Will this afternoon be convenient? Around 2.30 p.m., maybe?" Apparently, Wakashima agreed that it would be best to meet in the office since he didn't suggest other places.

"Yes, that should be fine. We'll be waiting for your principal then, Wakashima-san," Rouji said in friendly, welcoming tone.

"Likewise, Kusano-san." Wakashima said before hanging up.

Rouji put the phone handle down before he made his way to the kitchen to make some late breakfast and a cup of coffee for Muhyo while humming.

Done with cooking some sunny side eggs along with vegetables stir-fry and a slice of bread, he arranged the breakfast on the table and went to wake up his boss with a cup of coffee on his hand. Forcibly waking Muhyo with shaking and yelling would only make the young executor grumpy. The best way to make the sleepy head rise from his deep inertia was by taunting him with the aroma of strong black coffee or food.

"Muhyo, wake up," Rouji said with normal volume while wafting the cup near the ebony haired boy's nose. A few seconds later, he saw the nose twitch.

 _Hook, line, sinker!_ —Rouji chuckled as Muhyo's hand shot upward at the cup's direction, but Rouji pulled his hand back to prevent Muhyo from grabbing the cup suddenly, especially when the coffee was still scalding hot. He wouldn't want for Muhyo to accidentally spill the coffee and hurt himself after all.

"Come on, sleepy head. Rise and shine! Breakfast is ready!" Rouji teased as Muhyo's brow furrowed slightly before his eyes gradually opened. He yawned widely before grumbling inaudibly, and then started to sit up, rubbing his bleary eyes.

Muhyo mechanically got down from his bed using the small wooden stairs at his bedside, and walked to the sitting area before he sat at the couch, facing the table where his food and coffee were. He inhaled the coffee aroma first before reaching the cup to drink slowly. His eyes were still half close as he sipped his drink.

Rouji took off the apron he used to cook earlier and folded it neatly before storing it at the cabinet near the door. Then he walked back to sit on the couch across of Muhyo.

"So, we got a phone call this morning. The principal of St. Patricia Senior High School would like to meet us at 2.30 p.m." Rouji reported. Muhyo didn't give him any verbal reaction except for a soft grunt, a sign that he was listening albeit only with one ear. "The secretary didn't mention what the problem was, but it was probably the usual _thing_." He continued.

"Hn," Muhyo acknowledged as he began to eat, still not looking at Rouji's direction.

"I wonder what kind of school St. Patricia is. Judging from the name, it seems to be a Catholic school. What do you think, Muhyo?" Rouji wondered loudly before he looked at his boss expectantly.

"Who knows? Why didn't you ask when you got the call?" Muhyo, already finished his breakfast, got down from the couch and walked to the bathroom, probably going to freshen up and change clothes.

"Aw, come on! Let's brain storm a bit, Muhyo. There's no fun in just asking for the answer," Rouji pouted. As usual Muhyo was disagreeable when he had just woken up. He was no fun at all.

Rouji heard his boss snort as he closed the door to the bathroom.

"Party pooper." Rouji thrust his tongue out at the bathroom door, and at the yell of _'I heard that!'_ from his boss, Rouji made an _'eep'_ noise while running to hide in his room.

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

 _ **In the afternoon~**_

"Um…" the middle aged woman sitting in front of Muhyo and Rouji, Akanari Azuza, stared at them with dubious expression. The principal's secretary, Wakashima Ryo—that was the name that Rouji had supplied Muhyo earlier, looked a tad uncomfortable, somehow.

Muhyo sighed, annoyed. For some reason this always happened whenever their clients were way older than Muhyo and Rouji. They always thought that they were too young and shouldn't they be at school?—or something on those lines.

Not that Muhyo cared about that. He was here for doing his job sending unwanted spirits to their deserved realms and not to make impression on his clients. If they had doubts about his capabilities, it was their problem. All Muhyo had to do was prove that he was the best in their line of work by doing his job better than anyone else.

"So, what is it that you want to consult us?" Muhyo crossed his fingers between his hands in front of his face while facing the older woman seriously.

Rouji made a choked noise behind him before he followed up Muhyo's speech with friendlier manner by introducing themselves first, much to Muhyo's exasperation. His assistant always had a way in ruining the peculiarity of their line of work.

"Pardon his rudeness, Principal Akanari. He's the owner of this office, Muhyo Toru. I'm his assistant, Kusano Jirou. We're well known as Muhyo and Rouji's Supernatural Investigation Bureau. We deal with all problems that have to do with _supernatural_ beings."

"I see," the woman glanced at her secretary briefly before she faced Muhyo and Rouji again, still looking doubtful. "But aren't you too young to actually _work_?"

Muhyo growled lowly, narrowing his eyes in irritation as the issue was brought up on the table and Rouji seemed to be frantic as he explained, probably fearing Muhyo's increasingly bad mood.

"Ah, I understand your worry about the issue, Ma'am. But there's nothing to worry about professionalism in our part. We have license and everything. Our business is legit," Rouji smiled disarmingly at their client, albeit some beads of sweat rolling down his cheek.

"But still," the principal frowned some more and Muhyo let out a sneer as he spoke, running out of patience.

"If you're here just to critique our ages, then I suggest you to leave." He scoffed as he stood up, intending to open the door and kick their client out of his office as Rouji gasped.

"Muhyo! That's no way to talk to our client!" the blond scolded in mortification while the principal and her secretary widened their eyes in alarm at Muhyo brusqueness.

"Shut up. I don't have any patience to deal with skeptics." Muhyo glared at Rouji as he turned around and Rouji instantly moved to stop him (as always) by grabbing his arm and pleaded with his eyes, despite Muhyo's resistance, when their client spoke again.

"Wait, please. I'm sorry if I offend you, Muhyo-kun," Akanari sounded rather contrite and Muhyo stopped to glance at her. She looked pale, her expression worried. "I… _we_ -we need your help," she continued, her voice trembling slightly as she looked down at the still steaming cup of tea that Rouji had served her on the table.

Muhyo considered her request for a minute before he glanced at Rouji who stared at her with sympathetic eyes. The older boy then turned to look at Muhyo with pleading eyes again and he caved. "Fine. At least I'll listen to your story." He grunted as he walked back to the couch and sat down.

Rouji beamed at him appreciatively then, sending Muhyo little hearts and stars from his sparkling eyes that Muhyo mostly tried to ignore with little success. Luckily he wasn't a blushing type of a guy, so the corners of his mouth barely twitched as he felt a strange flutter in his stomach at seeing Rouji's rather adorable expression. He resented the fact that he had become rather soft after spending time with Rouji all these years.

"So, what is it?" Muhyo asked their client once again, able to ignore Rouji's smile now that he had something else to focus on.

"Our school, St. Patricia is quite a renowned high school in Japan. We only accept the best students from middle schools all over the country. We have the latest and most advanced curriculum that prepares our students to excel the national examination, and 100% guarantee that they will get accepted in their college choice," she started, telling Muhyo and Rouji of how proud she was with their amazing high school. Typical. In other words her school was an elite and her students were children of mostly rich, influential families.

"But lately, some rumors are circling around the students, which distracted them from their studies," she continued.

"Rumors?" Rouji asked, urging her to continue with his mannerism.

"Yes, some students claimed that they saw a ghost in our school hall and some rooms." This time, her secretary answered, looking askance and displeased. "According to the report from their homeroom teacher, some students refused to come inside specific rooms at school, some even stopped coming to school because they were too afraid of this _ghost_." His frown deepened, his tone suggesting that he didn't believe those students' story and probably thought that all of these were bullshit.

"And only the students ever saw this 'ghost'?" Rouji asked further. Muhyo smirked, noticing that his assistant had become sharper in his instinct for asking the right question.

Wakashima huffed. "Certainly I've never seen such thing in my life."

Muhyo glanced at the principal then, maintaining his smirk. She had become increasingly paler as the story went. "What about you, Madam Principal?" he finally asked, and she flinched slightly in reaction to his voice. "Have you had any experience in meeting this entity?"

"I… I'm not sure of what I saw, but… last week afternoon, when I was about to go home, I felt _presence_ watching from behind me as I walked the school corridor. When I turned around, there was this… shadow moving across the wall even though there was nothing solid that blocked the afternoon light from the open window," she told them. "Maybe it was just a trick of the afternoon light or something…"

She apparently still tried to bargain with her own rationality by denying what she saw as something, _an entity_ , which she couldn't comprehend. It was a defense mechanism created by her own brain to protect her sanity. Muhyo could understand that much, but…

"Has anyone gotten hurt by this ghost?" Muhyo asked and the principal's face became ashen.

"I…" Principal Akanari widened her eyes and bit her lower lip, hesitating, her hands shaking.

"Has someone died?" Muhyo got somber now, his smirk disappearing.

"Actually," Wakashima spoke again, seemingly trying to save his principal from having to answer the difficult question. "A student died a few months back, right before the rumor started circulating." He looked at the still trembling principal, probably asking for permission to continue and she nodded, giving her assent. "She was Principal Akanari's daughter."

Rouji gasped in surprise, covering his mouth with one hand as he looked at the now sniffling Akanari. Muhyo only widened his eyes slightly before he narrowed his eyes again. "Is she the rumored ghost?"

"Yes," Principal Akanari answered softly, some beads of tears falling on her cheeks. "I don't know why the rumor of my daughter's ghost wandering around the school ground suddenly appeared. But, but if-if the ghost was really her… if by any chance her soul stayed behind… I need to know why she can't cross over to the other side…" She dried her tears as her voice got steadier. "I'd like you to investigate if the 'ghost' is really her."

"Huh?" Muhyo scrunched up his nose. "That's not in my—"

"Alright! Leave it to us!" Rouji suddenly exclaimed in full spirit before Muhyo could inform that 'investigating identity of a ghost' wasn't actually his job. His job was to send that ghost down to hell or to cross it over to the other side.

"Oi, Rouji!" Muhyo scowled, sending his assistant an annoyed glare.

Rouji apparently was cheeky enough to ignore him as he continued, "Please give us the detailed profile of your school and the blueprint, so we can start the investigation immediately!" His eyes even sparkled as he spoke, always so eager to please.

 _That idiot. Always jumping into the foray without planning!—_ A vein popped on Muhyo's head. _And how dare he ignore me and accept a request without my consent!_

Muhyo was this close to kick the blond, but he raised his eyebrows when the principal's secretary spoke.

"We'll be happy to give you information about our school, but our school has a lot of high profile students and their privacy is our first priority. Because of the haunting rumors, paparazzi has caught interest in our school and constantly stakes out and circles the school ground to squeeze more information like some kind of vultures. Our school reputation is also at stake here. We hope you will investigate quietly and keep this case under wrap, just between us here only."

"Huh?" Rouji tilted his head aside, looking confused. "Paparazzi?"

"Sheesh… it sounds more trouble than what it's worth," Muhyo sighed, suddenly getting virtual headache. "How are we supposed to investigate if we can't even ask around freely?"

"Oh! Maybe we can disguise ourselves as students, like our last case in high school with those three friends and a teacher's ghost?" Rouji smiled, thumping the side of his fist on his palm, like he had the greatest idea in the world.

There was a beat of silence in the room before—

"But, our school is an all girls' school…" Wakashima said, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek.

"Eh?" Rouji widened his eyes as Muhyo snorted.

"Ah… Muhyo-kun is decidedly impossible, but with some makeover, Rouji-kun can probably pass to be our student," Akanari looked at Rouji with critical eyes as Rouji almost snapped his neck whirling his head to face her with shock and horror in his expression.

Muhyo couldn't help it. He exploded in gleeful, sadistic laughter as Rouji screeched "EEEEEEEEH?!"

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

"Pft—ahahahahahaha!"

Nana's loud laughter accompanied Muhyo's creepy snicker in the office as Rouji was inside the bathroom, changing clothes. His face felt like it was burning. He was so embarrassed that he couldn't help covering his face as he heard another raucous mirth from the teenage girl.

"Please don't laugh, you two! This is so _not_ funny!" Rouji shouted at them from behind the door, still mortified and a bit annoyed that they didn't even try to hide their amusement at his predicament.

 _Besides, why do girls always wear clothes with such complicated accessories? This is a school uniform, right? Don't they have a standardized version instead of this… this frilly atrocity?!_ —Rouji scowled as he gave the uniform—hung with a hanger on the bathroom door—once-over.

Surely, it was a cute _dress_ uniform. There were three layers of clothes; a thin layer of frilly white undershirt, a light brown one-piece dress with puffy and frilly bottom, and a button-less blazer that was puffed at the shoulder parts and reached only above chest part that would accentuate girls' asset if it was worn by girls.

'Worn by girls' were the key words.

"Do I have to _absolutely_ wear this _dress_ if I want to pose as a transfer student there?" Rouji couldn't help bemoaning as he bumped his forehead on the door intentionally.

"Stop whining, Rouji, and wear the damn skirt! It's the uniform!"

Muhyo's gleeful, sadistic snicker was heard again and Rouji's face heated once more. It had to be as red as tomato now. "Shut up, Muhyo! Why are you so cruel to me and allow this to happen?!" He couldn't help protesting, still a bit mad that Muhyo went along with this terrible plan even though his boss had to know that Rouji hated it.

"It's _your_ idea in the first place, you dunce." Muhyo replied and Nana's amused whimpering came back as a loud belly-hurting peal of laughter once again at Muhyo's dead-pan tone. "It's your own fault for accepting the case without my authorization. It's my name and reputation that you risk by doing it, so take responsibilities for it till the end, you idiot."

"I know that already!" Rouji pouted, unable to argue with that. "But still! Why do I have to be a female student?" He continued whining.

"Because it's all girls' school, didn't you hear that secretary's words?" Muhyo retorted. Well, at least he wasn't laughing at Rouji anymore.

"Yeah, but there are positions other than students! Why can't I be a janitor or… or a school cafeteria boy or something?"

"You should have told them that before they sent the dress." Muhyo pointed and Rouji groaned once more at his own stupidity this time. "God, would you just stop complaining and wear the uniform already! It can't be that bad. I bet it will suit you just fine."

"Muhyo! Not helping! You're wounding my masculinity!" Rouji yelled louder and it seemed Muhyo was out of patience as he kicked open the bathroom door, causing Rouji to yelp in shock and embarrassment because he was half-naked already. "Why are you coming in?!"

"Just put on the dress. Or what, you want Nana to dress you?" Muhyo smirked and Rouji squeaked, completely indignant at how tactless his boss was.

"Fine! Alright! I'll wear it! Just get out, please!"

"You have five minutes before I sick Nana on you," Muhyo's smirk widened, looking very wicked now.

"Wha—what?! Muhyo, you _demon! Devil! Green-blooded inhuman!_ "

Muhyo just laughed as he closed the door while Rouji continued name-calling Muhyo with every inhuman entities he could think of.

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

"But, seriously though, how come he gets into so many troubles despite his best intention all the time?" Nana was still giggling as Muhyo walked back to sit in front of her while Rouji was still name-calling him repeatedly from inside the bathroom.

 _That guy will pay for those name-callings twice as much_ —Muhyo were already plotting what kind of prank-punishment he would grace his assistant with later.

"Did you know this saying, 'A path to hell is carved with best intention'? It's the same as that but with 'Your mouth is your tiger' kind of risk," Muhyo smirked at the hazel eyed, brown haired busty girl in front of him. She was still giggling hard and holding her stomach. It looked like it was painful from too much laughing.

"But still! So hilarious! I can't wait to seeing Rouji-kun in a dress!" Nana apparently tried to hold back her delight, but utterly failed as she laughed again.

Muhyo didn't say anything, but he silently seconded her sentiment. It would be hilarious, indeed. He was kind of curious how the dress would suit his assistant. Rouji was, by no mean, an effeminate guy, but compared to other guys, he did look slenderer, and his loveable personality would probably enhance his guise as a girl.

 _Well, maybe not as pretty as Enchu, but still…_

Rouji was kind of dense about things like that, but there were more and more girls that noticed him in an _'I could eat him alive'_ way. Sometimes they were subtle, but most times they were blatantly flirting with him even though Rouji never realized that they were. It was annoying since when they went out together, those type of girls would be around to try their luck in seducing his assistant, which often interfered with their work.

Even when Muhyo was glaring at them viciously, they wouldn't go away. He dreaded what they would do if Rouji went out by himself these days, even only to shop for groceries.

"But I understand about the St. Patricia Principal's worry about this case," Nana said, apparently having been satisfied with her laugh. She rested her cheek on her palm as she looked at Muhyo. "I am also interested in the haunting rumors of this school, you see, since it hit the news often these days. I tried to interview some of the students, and all the source I went to looked terrified out of their mind. They said the ghost often came in their dream that they were afraid to sleep at night in the dorm," she explained. "I tried to sneak into the school once, but the security guard found me and threw me out. I don't think there is any other way to go inside the school aside posing as one of their students or staff, but with our age, posing as students will be more plausible, especially if the principal helps with the paper works."

Muhyo nodded, agreeing silently as well, but… "Why do you still come here again, Nana? You're not our client anymore. Stop coming just to pass the time," Muhyo huffed, still annoyed that one of his rules were transgressed often by some people. Even though he perfectly knew these days that 'some people' were basically his circle of friends, he still liked to pretend that he was professional enough to enforce this rule even though it was just for show.

"Eeeh, isn't it okay? We're friends! I want to hang out with you two, you cheap-skate!" Nana pouted rather cutely with her stubborn big eyes. "Besides, I am a _medium_ , hired specially by the Magic Law Association. So, technically we're a co-worker, Muhyo-san," she smirked, then probably thinking that she won the argument as Muhyo scowled at her.

"Your tenacity in stupidity astound me sometimes," Muhyo scoffed, closing his eyes, refusing to feel the elation at her freely offered friendship, despite what their line of work often did to her.

If not for getting kidnapped by entities, or being in constant danger of supernatural forces, Muhyo would like to cut ties with her so she could go back to be a normal teenage girl. Yet, her disposition as latent medium wouldn't allow that. Once she made contact of this side of world, she wouldn't be able to escape, so it was probably safer if she was in close contact with him and Rouji. At least that way, if something happened to her, they would be able to react in time to protect or to save her.

"Muhyo-san," Nana clicked the shutter of her prized Polaroid camera and Muhyo blinked at the flash as she took his picture.

"What are you doing?" Muhyo scowled at her, not understanding her impulse to take pictures whenever she went.

Nana grinned. "Your melancholic expression is too precious. I can't help but want to preserve it in a photograph!"

"Shut up." Muhyo huffed, frowning harder. No, he wasn't blushing. He wasn't, damn it!

"Aww, Muhyo-san is embarrassed!" Nana teased, grinning more widely.

"If you don't stop, I'm going to break your camera," he threatened, narrowing his gaze at her and she yelped and hugged her Polaroid to her chest instantly, as if to protect it from danger.

"You wouldn't dare!" She challenged, narrowing her gaze back.

"Try me," Muhyo lifted his hand and she immediately jumped out of the couch to back away from him, her camera still snug in her arms.

"Now, now, Muhyo-san, calm down," Nana was visibly sweating, apparently terrified that Muhyo would really make good of his threat.

Muhyo considered following to corner her, but the sound of the bathroom door clicking open halted his mind as he turned to face the bathroom. "Oh, finally. You're done changing?" Muhyo asked Rouji who hadn't come out.

It took more than a minute for the boy to get out of the bathroom after the door was open. When he did get out, in that warm creamy brown colored dress no less, Muhyo had to blink to make sure that whom he was seeing was really his assistant and not someone else.

Well, Rouji's face was _Rouji's_ , even the blushing mess was _his_ , but there was something surreal at seeing Rouji in girl's clothes.

The office room was silent then. Both Muhyo and Nana could only stare at the cross-dressing boy that he seemed very uncomfortable with their gaze. "What? Say something!" If it was possible, the blush on his face got even darker.

"Wow, Rouji-kun, you look _cute_!" Nana exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

"Well, it does suit him more than I expected," Muhyo tried to be cool as he commented, even though he was rather surprised at how _good_ it looked on Rouji.

"I am _not_ happy with those compliments!" Rouji pouted, which made him look even more adorable than he already was. His blond hair still looked messy but for some reason seemed to be fluffy enough to make everyone (Muhyo especially) want to pet it. His amber eyes were warm, big and round enough, making him seem sweet and gentle, his neck was quite long and looked pink right now, because his blush seemed to go down farther. Maybe he was a type of person that blushed with his entire body. It enticed Muhyo in a way he couldn't rationally explain. He wanted to see how far that blush would reach Rouji's body.

Muhyo shook his head slightly, trying not to flush himself with his surprisingly dirty thought. "It still lacks something though," Muhyo said as he got down from the couch and walked toward Rouji, circling the boy as soon as he was no more than half a meter from him.

"W-what?" Rouji looked wary and anxious, like Muhyo's opinion about him _in a girl's clothes_ mattered to him the most. Rouji had this way of 'look' that frustrated Muhyo sometimes, that his assistant might still think himself as a burden to Muhyo, even though he already proved himself times and times again that Muhyo needed him more than anyone, because Rouji was _his_ _assistant_ , his most important partner in doing his job.

Muhyo stopped in front of Rouji, looking upward at his much taller assistant and waving down at him to kneel in front of him. Rouji gave him a puzzled look, but he did what Muhyo gestured him to do and knelt.

Muhyo reached his hand and his forefinger touched Rouji's neck right on his Adam apple. "Here, your Adam apple is still showing," His other hand went to Rouji's chest. "And this part's not busty enough," he smirked while Rouji's face got redder by the second before he exploded.

"Muhyo, you-pervert!" Rouji yelled in total mortification, trying to shove Muhyo away, but Muhyo already jumped back before Rouji's hands made contact with his body, expertly dodging the violent reaction he already expected from his assistant's embarrassment.

Muhyo snickered slightly as he turned to Nana and asked, "Can you do something about that messy hair of his and his lack of curve, Nana?"

"What?! Are you serious?! No way, Muhyo!" Rouji's tone was full of horror, but Muhyo (and Nana by extension) ignored him completely.

"Leave it to me!" Nana beamed and her sparking gaze immediately zeroed on Rouji like a predator's locking on its prey.

"Na-Nana-chan?" Rouji looked at Nana with pale face, apparently feeling very threatened by her hungry gaze.

"No problem, Rouji-kun. I have just these perfect things for you…!" Her breath was getting faster and even Muhyo was rather worried if he had sent Rouji to a real predator this time.

"NOOOOO!"

Rouji's wail was positively deafening, and some passerby might be surprised by it, but fortunately, no one kicked down their office door, mistaking his yell as a murder in progress.

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

"Ugh… Nana-chan, this is very uncomfortable," Rouji moaned pitifully as Nana put a corset on him and instructed him to take a deep breath.

"Endure it, Rouji-kun. This will give you the curve needed as a girl," Nana tightened the lace on the small of his back, and Rouji whined some more in slight pain. He had to have respect for modern day girls. He didn't know that putting on corset on one body was this hard. Moreover, they did it in daily basis! He couldn't imagine the suffering they had to put themselves into to look attractive when they went to impress someone they liked.

"This is painful, Nana-chan! I can hardly breathe!" Rouji complained.

"Take a deep breath and pace your breathing. It will get easier with time," Nana repeated and Rouji whined miserably, his face flushing with the effort to pace his breathe and Muhyo's eyes on them were not helping at all.

"Alright," Nana seemed to be done with putting the corset and rummaged her bag to fetch something else which looked like fake boobs when she brought the items out.

"What's that?" Rouji paled, intimidated beyond belief by the big lumps in skin color in Nana's hand.

"This is called a silicon bra. It will give your chest a boost for curve. It's a C-cup. Since you're quite tall and your shoulders are rather wide, it won't look too big, but proportionally will give an illusion that you have boobs, Rouji-kun." Nana grinned and Rouji groaned more while blushing, covering his face with his hands.

"Is it really necessary!?" He couldn't help screaming into his hands then, feeling ashamed that he had to do thorough makeover of himself for this job.

"It is. Do as she says, Rouji," Muhyo commented from the couch, not releasing his penetrating gaze from him, his smirk looking smug.

Rouji glared at his boss, wishing he had laser eyes to wipe that smug look on his face. "You're enjoying this too much, aren't you?"

"I am, definitely." Muhyo snickered creepily and Rouji had to look away before he could say something he would regret later.

"L-let's get this over with." Rouji turned to Nana and she nodded.

"Pay attention, so you can do this by yourself later," Nana warned.

"There's no way I will put this corset on daily." Rouji grimaced.

"Well, just for the first day, then, Rouji-kun. You move to the dorm today, right? Tomorrow you can forgo the corset, but you should wear the silicon bra to maintain the illusion." Nana compromised and Rouji could only sigh in resignation, his blush not receding in the slightest.

Nana put the bra on him and he put on the under shirt over it. Then the uniform and the blazer. He looked himself in a mirror and noticed the difference in his body-built immediately. Nana was right. He got curves now and it did look good on him which kind of depressed him slightly because he apparently passed as a girl completely this way.

"It looks good! Now, the hair!" Nana said as she rummaged in her bag some more, this time bringing out some hair gel, hair dryer, flattening tool and more hair tools that Rouji couldn't name.

Half an hour of flurry motion in taming Rouji's messy hair later, he could feel his hair soften in a way that make it fall down this time, and it was actually quite long because his hair reached the middle of his neck, curling inside.

"Huh, it looks amazingly good, but not long enough to cover the Adam apple," Nana looked serious as she put her finger on her chin, thinking. "Ah!" She seemed to find the solution as he rummaged her bag to fetch something.

"Is that a freaking choker?!" Rouji almost dropped his jaw as he stared at the offending lacy, dark colored accessory on Nana's hand.

"Hey now. This is a fashion choker, Rouji-kun. Don't be so scandalized. It's quite popular these days to warm your neck with this instead of a scarf," Nana huffed, sounding a bit defensive, like Rouji had offended her fashion choice. "And look, the color is in dark brown, it will complement the color of your uniform!" She continued as she stretched the bendy material. "It stretches quite easily as well, so it will be more comfortable than the real leather choker."

She put on the choker on him rather forcefully, but despite his initial aversion, Rouji finally relented because he didn't think he could win against her.

Then as a final touch, Nana put on a dark brown headband on him, with light-brown ribbons flowing down the end of the band and little yellow flowers adorning the top. "There you go! Look, Rouji-kun, you look extremely lovely! Right, Muhyo-san?" Nana giggled proudly of her work and Rouji hated to admit that he really made a very fine-looking girl when he looked at his reflection on the mirror. Damn it. He shouldn't be elated by her compliments, but it did for some reason.

Rouji waited for Muhyo to insult his lack of masculinity again, but his boss was keeping quiet. Rouji got curious of what Muhyo thought as he glanced at the shorter boy. There was something indecipherable in expression, but his blue eyes was trained on him and there was this soft glimmer in his eyes.

"Muhyo?" Rouji asked him, feeling kind of weird for some reason.

Muhyo gave him a small smile instead of his patented smirk. "You look good," he said, his tone sincere and somehow it made Rouji more embarrassed than Muhyo's usual teasing insult.

"W-what…?" Rouji was flustered and couldn't help opening his mouth more to stutter. "W-what the—what's with you, Muhyo?! Is this a new way to tease me? That's lame!" He laughed awkwardly and there was a twitch at Muhyo's left eye.

"Yes, you look good as a girl. No one will _ever_ notice that you're a _guy_ in disguise," Muhyo added, and for some reason he looked kind of pissed off suddenly as he insulted him.

"Muhyo, that's mean!" Rouji cried at that while Muhyo clicked his tongue and huffed, looking the other way. "Why are you suddenly in a bad mood!? I am the one who had to dress as a girl for this investigation, you know!" he protested more.

"I don't know what you're talking about, idiot." Muhyo then refused to look at him as he sulked on the couch.

"Sheesh, what's with you!?" Rouji huffed as well, getting annoyed for not understanding Muhyo's mood-swing.

Nana seemed intrigued though, as she stared at Muhyo's hard expression and then at Rouji consecutively. "Huh." She seemed to notice something.

"What is it, Nana-chan?" Rouji dried his tears with the hem of his blazer that instantly earned him a scolding from her to use a tissue instead.

"Manners, Rouji-kun! You're going to pose as a young lady from respected family, so you have to learn manners as one!" She exclaimed and Rouji groaned harder at that.

"Please spare me already!"

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

After the bustle of crash course about how to be a young lady by Nana and some of internet advice, Rouji was deemed 'ready enough' to invade the dorm of St. Patricia High School. As pre-arranged by the Principal Akanari that personally greeted him at the gate the next afternoon while he came out of a limousine (rented by the principal as well to show off Rouji's supposedly high status), Rouji was instantly famous by the wonder look of the students who were still at the school ground.

The rumor about the high profile transfer student already spread around the house when Rouji stepped inside the luxurious dorm. Principal Akanari and her secretary showed him around the living quarters after notifying the dorm head, a third year by the name of Shijo Yukari, the eldest daughter of Shijo corporation, the biggest trading company with over 100 office-branches in entire Japan.

"You must be quite a lady for our busy Principal to guide you herself," Shijo whispered as Akanari was still speaking in front of them when they walked together on the dorm corridor.

"Eh?" Rouji was surprised when he was suddenly addressed.

"She hasn't even introduced you to me, and she already shows you around our dorm." Shijo smiled, a hint of threatening vibe in her tone and aura, even her curving dark eyes seemed to be intimidating.

Rouji didn't like to think badly about people that he just met, but he got an impression that Shijo didn't like him. He smiled softly at her though, and it seemed to throw her for a loop.

"I suppose my parents are quite important," Rouji whispered back as softly as he appeared, "But 'I' by myself am still no one to our society, and I hope I can learn in this school to become _someone_ in the future."

It was supposed to be lip-service, but Rouji meant every word he said. He was still no-one after all, but he intended to become someone, for Muhyo's sake.

Shijo was silent, looking at Rouji with wide eyes and she looked down, looking demure before she also smiled. "I like you determination," she said, and just like that, that intimidating sensation was gone from her and Rouji was glad that he made a friend in her in that moment.

After the dorm tour, Akanari told Shijo to give 'her daughter's room to Rouji, much to Shijo's surprised look. "Are you sure, Principal Akanari?" She looked kind of pale as she accepted the key room.

"Yes," the principal nodded to her seriously and then she looked upward at Rouji and smiled slightly at him. She walked toward him and touched his shoulder gently, yet firmly. "I am counting on you, Rouji-kun," she whispered lowly into his ear and he nodded.

After the principal left, Shijo turned to Rouji and gave him a tight smile. "I didn't catch your name earlier," she said, asking for his name without actually asking.

"Ah, I am Kusano Ji— _Rouka_ ," Rouji hastily corrected his almost miss. Jirou was not a girl's name after all. He was sweating slightly and his heart beat fast and loudly at the thought. It was day one and he almost blew his cover by accident. He had to focus more.

"Kusanoji-san, then," Shijo nodded. "As you already know, I am Shijo Yukari. The head dorm." She introduced herself politely. "Your room is this way, Kusanoji-san," she gestured for him to follow her and he walked by her side.

When they arrived at the room intended, Shijo put the key in the key-hole, but for some reason, her hand shook. Rouji noticed that she was paler than before and was about to ask what was wrong when a blood-curling scream reverberated the dorm.

Shijo dropped the key in surprise and Rouji snapped his head around, alerted immediately. "What's that?!"

"Oh! It's from the second year floor!" Shijo looked scared and Rouji grabbed her arm.

"Take me there!" Rouji said somberly.

Shijo looked stunned for a moment before she nodded. "This way!"

 **End of Haunting 1**

 **Tbc…**

* * *

 **A/N:** Yeaaa… the first chapter, and it's already quite long. I hope the characterization isn't too off *laughs*. So, no strange terminologies yet, but they will probably come out in the second chapter. Anyway, what do you think of this chapter? Is it intriguing enough? Funny enough? I did tell you that the shounen ai is in round-about way, right? Probably there will be more fluffs in next chapter. Give me your thoughts on this?


	2. Haunting 2

**A/N:** Whoa, guys! I was surprised when I read your comments! Seriously, I didn't even expect it at first, but thank you very much for the support! They made me want to update as fast as I can! But, sorry for the wait, anyway. Without further ado, here's chapter 2. ENJOY!

 **Disclaimer and Warning: _See chapter 1_**

* * *

 **Haunted**

 **© lunaryu~**

 **Haunting 2:** _ **Mysterious Spirit**_

* * *

Muhyo was reading Jabin when he felt thirsty.

"Rouji, get me a drink, will you." He continued reading and snickered at some funny parts of the _manga_ and only realized that Rouji didn't respond to his call when his hand grabbed empty air as he reached for the cup of tea which should have been on the table if Rouji had done his request.

"Oi, Rou—!" Muhyo halted his call when he remembered that Rouji wasn't there in the first place.

He looked at the too quiet living space and clicked his tongue. For some reason the office felt extraordinarily empty. There was an odd pang in his chest seeing the silence in a usually lively place when Rouji was around. The blond boy was never really quiet even though he wasn't speaking. If not doing chores, he usually made some clattering noises doing whatever he deemed important to be doing, or plotting and writing down his often useless 'Super Fab Tech'.

Muhyo looked around him for a moment, feeling momentary lost before he closed the _manga_ and put it down on the table. He got down from the couch and walked to the kitchen to fetch a bottle of water. Oh, he could make his own tea, thank you very much. But it was a pain to do it himself, so he decided that water would do just fine to satiate his thirst.

As Muhyo reached out his hand up to grab the refrigerator's handle (he was irked that he needed to stand on his toes to do that), he noticed a yellow post-it note stuck on it.

 _I put your dinner in a Tupperware inside the fridge. Please heat it up before you eat!—Rouji_

Muhyo couldn't help smiling slightly, feeling warm as he touched the note. It was thoughtful of his assistant to do that before he left to infiltrate St. Patricia dorm.

Realizing what he was doing, Muhyo immediately dropped his smile, pulled his hand back and shook his head, silently berating himself that he was being disgustingly sentimental concerning his assistant.

He opened the fridge looking for a bottle of water which was the only thing well stocked inside. It was depressingly empty as always, sans the lone Tupperware in the middle shelf and leftover vegetables from Rouji's previous grocery shopping in the lower shelf.

Muhyo huffed and grabbed the bottle before closing the fridge again. He opened the cap before drinking slowly. Done with half the content of the bottle, he recapped it and put it on the counter.

He stared at the kitchen counter for a moment. It looked clean, _too clean_. Sterile. It seemed wrong somehow. This space shouldn't be this impersonal. Rouji always cleaned it spotlessly and it was a proper thing to do because hygiene in the kitchen was important, and yet...

It felt... kind of lonely.

Muhyo scowled at his pathetic thought. What was wrong with him anyway? He'd been alone longer before he roomed in with Rouji. He had never felt like this before.

He shook his head again, trying to clear his head. Looking at the clock; _8 p.m_., he might have been hungry, otherwise he wouldn't be thinking about silly things. He should eat his dinner.

...

He wasn't really hungry, but...

Muhyo glanced at the fridge. He sighed. _No point in wasting Rouji's effort in making dinner._

Reheating the cold dinner, sliced omelet with miso broth (he cursed that he had to use the chair to reach the microwave), Muhyo set the now warm food on the table with his half full bottled water.

Muhyo looked across of him, still no one sitting there. He frowned at himself for being weak as his mind conjured up an image of Rouji smiling in front of him against his will. " _Itadakimasu_ ," he said aloud, which he had never done when he was around other people, and started eating.

As expected, Rouji's cooking never disappointed. Muhyo smiled again. "It's delicious, stupid-Rouji."

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

"Take me there," Rouji requested the dorm head to lead the way, somber and determined.

If this was the ghost that terrorized the school, it was Rouji's opportunity to get a close look at it. Of course the chance of the spirit to be still maintaining their original shape was close to nil, but there was a chance that they still had consciousness of their identity.

Rouji might be able to communicate with it.

"This way, Kusanoji-san!" Shijo led him to the stairs and both of them quickly went down to the floor below theirs.

Some scared students ran past them, yelling about calling the teachers, the security guards and the ambulance.

"What's going on here?" Shijo grabbed one of the crying girls, and the terrified girl looked at her in surprise.

"Shijo-senpai!" She looked relieved momentarily before she spoke again in panicky. "It's Haruna, Senpai. She tried to hang herself!"

"What?!" Shijo sounded shocked and appalled as Rouji instantly moved to the open door with many people still crowding in front of it.

"Please let me through!" Rouji grabbed some of the girls, gently enough not to hurt but forcefully enough to move them so he could make a way for himself to see inside the room.

In the room was a girl standing on a chair with a rope around her neck, the end of the rope tied into one of the horizontal lumbers of the wooden ceiling. Her half open, onyx colored eyes seemed to be looking at nothing, her body lax as if she was not aware of what she was doing.

"What are you doing, Haruna?! Don't do it!" Three girls tried to stop her and they were about to enter the room when Rouji's keen eyes saw something that they probably missed or didn't see.

"STOP!" He shouted, surprising those girls. "Don't come inside the room!"

Rouji spread his slightly long arm to cover the entrance because he had obligation to protect those ordinary people as a Magic Law practitioner, even though those people couldn't see what he could.

"Wha- what are you doing?! Haruna needs help there!" One of the girls screamed at him. The others tried to remove him from the door, but he stood his ground. Besides, he was stronger than them, both physically and mentally, so he didn't move an inch even as they pushed and pulled at him.

"Trust me, you will endanger her more if you crowd her now!" Rouji warned, rather desperate to make those girls understand that they would also endanger themselves if they went inside, without having to tell the truth about what he was seeing. "You could startle her into hanging if you weren't careful. Don't panic around her. Let me do it. I'll talk her out of it." Rouji pleaded, promising them that he would help her, but he needed to do it alone.

There was no way he would involve ordinary people in this. He promised Muhyo he would never endanger anyone else again after what happened to Nana the first time he tried to face a spirit alone.

The girls around him seemed to waver, apparently seeing his determination, and when Shijo showed up in the middle of the crowd as well, those younger girls made a space for her to approach Rouji.

"Can you do it, Kusanoji-san?" Shijo asked, sounding and looking worried, but not unwilling to give Rouji a chance.

Rouji smiled at her reassuringly. "I'd ever done it before."

"Alright," Shijo nodded.

Rouji sighed in relief and stepped into the room. "Don't suddenly open the door before I open it from the inside, okay?" He requested tentatively. Shijo nodded at him before he closed the door in front of them.

Finally away from prying eyes, Rouji turned around and gulped. There was so much of white substance, string-like spider-web all around the corners of the room that crossed to the middle, tangling into some parts of Haruna's body; around her arm-shoulder joints, her back, her legs, the back of her neck... they seemed to support her weight. It was almost translucent, even Rouji had difficulty seeing it clearly, so it was no wonder that people without spiritual power or tempering were unable to see it.

There was quite strong miasma around, yet he couldn't pin-point the spirit's real form.

Rouji readied his magic sealing pen and some charms that he brought around for emergency. It wasn't too careful to always be prepared after all. He couldn't actually exorcise the spirit, but halting their movement and nullifying their effect on Haruna physically or mentally could be done.

"Hey, I don't know who you are and what you want to do with her, but you better stop it right now. You are a spirit and you're committing a crime. Let go of her before it's too late for you to cross over to the other side. If you're adding your crime by committing murder, an executor will definitely send you to hell," he warned, trying diplomatic approach first.

It was a move that often pissed Muhyo off. Rouji knew that sometimes there was no talking to a spirit that already lost their mind, but by any chance... if there was a possibility to talk some sense into them so they wouldn't try to commit more crimes, he would do it.

For some reason, the temperature in the room dropped by a few degrees. Rouji looked right and left, clenching his pen more tightly. He sharpened his hearing as he heard something... hissing?

 _No. It's..._

It was a crying voice.

Rouji looked upward at the ceiling as he detected the source of the sound, and there he saw a mass of thick black mist, like a swarm of bugs. Just above Haruna, a pair of creepy red eyes in the middle of the swarm glared at Rouji, and he was caught off guard when the swarm suddenly lashed at him.

"Ack!" He couldn't react fast enough and was pushed back, his back slamming into the door and his pen and charms dropped at the impact.

 _What a violent reaction!_ —Rouji groaned and gritted his teeth in slight pain. Then he hurried and grabbed his dropped magic sealing pen when he got back up.

There was high pitched screeching sound then, and Rouji winced hearing it. As he was about to perform a binding spell directly onto the swarm, they suddenly stopped moving and the swarm scattered around in the blink of eyes, dispersing outside the window.

"Oh, no! Wait!" Rouji dashed, about to chase after the swarm, but then he saw Haruna, her lax body already released from the web-string-like substance, begin to drop down with the rope still around her neck. "Uh-oh!" Rouji made a sharp 90 degree turn and dashed toward her instead, immediately catching her body before she fell for real and got strangled by the rope because of the fall.

Rouji lifted Haruna's body upward slowly, being careful not to jostle her too much, and sighed in relief when he noticed that she was still breathing despite being unconscious. Tentatively getting onto the chair, he removed the rope from her neck, and then carried her to lay her down on the bed a few feet away. After making sure that she was relatively okay, Rouji went to the window to check whether the spirit was still around the dorm.

He couldn't see the black swarm anymore and when he closed his eyes to feel their presence, he could only detect faint trace. All the miasma was also gone from the room.

Why did the spirit withdraw so suddenly? It was rather mystifying. Their behavior weren't like normal spirit. It looked almost like they realized that Rouji was about to put a binding spell on them.

 _But that hiss and cry..._

Rouji bit his lower lip and clenched at his chest. He felt rather odd when he heard their screech earlier. It… didn't sound like the spirit was angry or hateful, or even vindictive.

 _Why... why did it sound like they were crying in anguish?_

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

Rouji got out of the room in the face of a lot of people. Some students together with Shijo, a teacher—later known as Momozuki-sensei, a school guard—Hayashida-san, and a pair of medics from the ambulance which was called by one of the students.

"She's alright, just unconscious," Rouji explained, but gesturing for the medics to come inside the room and to examine Haruna, while the teacher, the school guard and Shijo stayed to ask some questions.

Momozuki ordered the other students to go back to their respective rooms because it was almost past their bed time. Some of them protested since they were no longer kids and Haruna's wellbeing was more important than bed time, but in the end they relented because Momozuki threatened that she would give them detention unless they obeyed the rule. Shijo was of course exempted because she was the dorm head.

While the medics checked up Haruna, Momozuki brought Rouji and Shijo to the office room while she requested Hayashida to stay and accompany the medics and the unconscious girl.

A few minutes later, seated on the couch in front of Momozuki and Shijo, Rouji tried to act calmly, though he couldn't help but fidget anxiously and frown deeply in worry because he had to leave Haruna with ordinary people. What if the spirit came back to catch her again?

"So, Kusanoji Rouka-san?" Momozuki addressed him and Rouji nodded at her, confirming. "I am Momozuki Kira, St. Patricia's Senior High School Dorm Advisor also the English teacher. I heard you just moved in today. For some reason the Principal didn't notify me about your transfer," she said, sounding rather put off.

"Ah, that... might be because the special circumstance of why I need to go to school here." Rouji looked the other way, inconspicuously sweating even though he tried to maintain his expression to stay calm and confident. "It's kind of classified. I am afraid I am not authorized to tell you the reason." Well, at least it was the truth. Rouji wasn't a good liar and not telling the reason was technically not a lie.

Shijo raised her eyebrows at that and Rouji shook his head once, refusing to explain further.

"Ah, I see. Well, a few students transferred here for 'secret' reasons as well, which are various, I supposed. But never mind that." Momozuki shook her head hard, looking rather distraught. "What happened in that room just now? Do you know why Haruna did that? How did you talk her out of it? Why is she unconscious?"

The barrage of questions almost overwhelmed Rouji, so he raised his hands slowly, nonthreatening. "Please calm down, Sensei. I didn't actually do anything," he answered gently, making sure that he got her and Shijo's attention before continuing. "Haruna-san didn't seem to be in her right mind when I spoke to her. She... was in a trance, I believe."

"A trance?" Shijo looked confused.

"Her eyes were vacant the whole time, like she wasn't herself, and after a while she lost consciousness. I caught her before she fell," Rouji elaborated.

"Really?" Momozuki frowned, stroking her wavy neck-length brown hair back slightly while Shijo went noticeably quiet, her face paling.

Rouji noted Shijo's reaction, but he didn't mentioned it and quietly observed.

"Yes. I wonder if she has history on mental illness," Rouji looked down demurely then, thinking he could suggest to move her away from the dorm or the school to prevent another attack in case she was targeted specifically.

Shijo and Momozuki looked at each other for a moment before Momozuki sighed. "Maybe I will call for her parents tomorrow to talk about this matter. I'll speak to the medics. You can go back to your rooms, Shijo-san, Kusanoji-san," she stood up and dismissed them.

"Sensei," Rouji also stood up. "I think Haruna-san should not be alone tonight," he said, looking at Shijo and then at Momozuki seriously. "There is a chance she might try again if she's alone."

"I agree with Kusanoji-san's concern. She and I will be staying at Haruna-san's room until she's awake." Shijo nodded at him and asked for permission from their teacher. Rouji was slightly mystified of why she volunteered _him_ as well. She only knew him for a few hours after all.

"Alright. Do that, and please report to me of her condition after she's awake," Momozuki smiled slightly. Rouji smiled back and Shijo bowed slightly at her when they parted ways.

"Good night, Sensei."

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

When both Shijo and Rouji arrived back in front of Haruna's room, they only saw Hayashida in front of the door. The medics were nowhere to be found, probably already moving to talk to Momozuki as she was the adult in charge of the dorm.

"Hayashida-san," Shijo walked up to the older man, probably around 30 years old, with dark hair and deep midnight eyes, and he turned to her with a smile.

"Shijo-sama," Hayashida greeted her, nodding politely.

"How is Haruna?" Shijo asked, her tone worried.

"The medics said there was no visible injury on her physically, but they were concerned about her mental stability. They recommend that we bring her to a hospital to undergo some mental evaluation," he said, looking troubled.

"We will do that tomorrow after her parents are here," Shijo nodded at him and then turned to Rouji who watched their interaction curiously. "Ah, Kusanoji-san, this is Hayashida Hayami, the head of our school security personnel." Then she turned to Hayashida again and introduced Rouji to him. "This is the new transfer student, Kusanoji Rouka, Hayashida-san."

"Nice to meet you, Hayashida-san," Rouji lifted part of his skirt and bowed slightly at him, automatically greeted him formally as a young lady would.

Hayashida blinked once, looking a tad bewildered. Shijo instantly chuckled lightly, and Rouji, realizing that he might have done something stupid, flushed at their reaction.

"Wow, so formal, Kusanoji-san, you are adorable." Shijo giggled some more in mirth and Rouji felt his cheeks heat more intensely.

"Um, it has… kind of rooted inside me, because of the lesson on manner courtesy of my family. I can't really help it." Rouji looked the other way, still blushing in embarrassment, not exactly lying because Nana's lesson in lady's mannerism was brutal, alright. He was conditioned into it against his will.

Shijo giggled again before she moved closer to him and took his hand. "I like you more and more, Kusanoji... Ah, how about I call you Rouka-chan? You can call me Yukari," she smiled sweetly, her hands moving up slowly to embrace Rouji's arm.

"Uh," Rouji suddenly felt rather uncomfortable with the proximity. "S-shouldn't we change our uniform into sleeping wear before we turn in for the night, Shijo-san?" He tried to change the subject, while subtly trying to pry his arm away from her grasp, wondering why he felt uneasy with the strange way she looked at him now.

"My, you're a shy one. How cute. I told you to call me Yukari, Rouka-chan." Shijo giggled louder, tightening her hold and even resting her head on Rouji's shoulder.

 _Eeh?! What's with this situation?!—_ Rouji, feeling incredibly crept out now, glanced at Hayashida and pleaded to him silently to help him.

Somehow, Hayashida said he had patrol to do and quickly turned away and retreated, leaving Rouji to fend for himself.

 _Traitor!—_ Rouji almost yelled at his retreating back, feeling oddly betrayed just because Hayashida was a man and Rouji was too, even under his skirt, and men shouldn't leave fellow men in trouble without helping! But he quickly remembered himself not to blow his cover. Rouji sighed, resigned, but still not actually understanding what was going on anymore.

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

 _ **The next day~**_

Muhyo was still sleeping when he heard faint knocking sounds, followed by high pitch voice calling; _scratch that_. They were _yelling_ for his name.

"Muhyo-saaan!" _B_ a _ng-bang-bang_ "Open up please! Muhyo-saaan!" _Bang-bang-bang_.

Muhyo tried to ignore the offending noises, but they were quite persistent that a vein finally popped out from his head and he opened his blue eyes with promised murder in his menacing glare.

He woke, sat up, got down from his bed, stomped toward the office door, and then slammed the door open violently while still in his pajama, as he yelled, "Shut up! Do you know what time it is?!"

"Ah, finally!" Nana's face and voice were too cheery and chirpy in the blind morning. It wasn't even...

Muhyo surreptitiously glanced at the clock.

 _...Seven o' clock in the morning! Seven!_

Muhyo scowled harder. He never woke up before 9, damn it. "You'd better have something _very_ important to tell me or I will be extremely pissed off." He set a laser glare at the pretty, well-endowed teenage girl who didn't seem to find him scary at all despite what he was capable of doing.

This was what happened when people got to be around him longer than necessary. They became immune of his intimidating technique. So very annoying!

"You are already angry, aren't you? Besides, what are you talking about? It's seven in the morning, Muhyo-san! Normal people are already up and about doing their daily activities at this time!" She pushed her way inside the office, not minding having to move Muhyo forcefully from the door to do so. What a rude girl.

"What exactly are you doing here, Nana? I'm seriously going to kick you out if you're here only to bother me." Muhyo slammed the door close, still frowning, irritated beyond belief. He couldn't deal with her in such ungodly hour by himself. Rouji usually entertained her when Muhyo clearly wasn't in the mood.

"Sheesh, calm down. Don't be such a grump first thing in the morning." Nana pouted, putting down a paper bag that she had been carrying on the table at the sitting area and stretched. "And I do have a good reason to be here, you know. Rouji-kun asked me after all." She lifted her nose proudly and put her hands on her waist.

"Huh? Rouji?" Muhyo turned to look upward at her, puzzled. Why did Rouji's name come up suddenly?

"Yes. He asked me to cook breakfast for you when he was away." She smiled then, looking pleased.

Muhyo went silent at that, slightly widening his eyes. All thoughts were in immediate halt.

"Rouji-kun is very kind and thoughtful, isn't he? He seems to be thinking about you and your well being all the time even though he doesn't have to." Nana turned to look at the grocery bag on the table, her expression poignant. "He's worried that you probably won't eat if cooking is too troublesome, so he asked me to come and cook when he can't. No worries! I will properly follow his recipe, so I guarantee it will taste delicious!" Nana held up her right arm, and clasped her left hand on her gun, winking at Muhyo confidently.

Muhyo could only blinked, surprisingly rather dumbfounded, when she grabbed the paper bag and carried it once again, skipping to the kitchen while humming happily.

He... didn't know what to think of that.

 _Well, that's bullshit_.

Muhyo just didn't want to admit it. Times and times again, he was repeatedly reminded that Rouji thought the world of him. Rouji was always by his side even though he barely knew anything about Muhyo. He was a clueless idiot, but Rouji's kindness and loyalty, and his willingness to protect other people were the characteristics that made Muhyo choose him as his assistant in the first place, not just because Rouji had tremendous amount of tempering.

But, honestly... Muhyo never thought he would miss that idiot's presence this much only in one day. Worse, it wasn't even a day yet since it hadn't hit 24 hours mark.

 _When did I start feeling this way? Last time we separated in order for Rouji to figure out his place and duty on my side, I didn't even think about it that much aside of how inconvenient it was to lose half of my spiritual support, but now..._

The emptiness was irritating... and _excruciating_ , like losing a limb or two.

 _Ah, damn it!_ —Muhyo scratched his head curtly, very much exasperated with himself.

"Oi, Nana!" Muhyo called rather loudly, and the brunet came out from the kitchen with a ladle on her right hand and a pink apron, _Rouji's_ , already on her.

"What?" She tilted her head aside, looking at him with wide curious hazel eyes.

"I'm going to St. Patricia today to meet Rouji. The sooner the case is done, the sooner I can get my assistant back." He scowled as he stomped to the bathroom to freshen up and change clothes.

 _It's annoying to think about things that will only piss me off even more. So what if I'm attached to my assistant? It's not like it's a crime or anything!—_ Muhyo's scowl deepened as he brushed his teeth and then rinsed before he splashed his face with water. He dried off and then glanced at himself in the mirror.

He had been asleep for over 9 hours... and yet the reflection that stared back at him looked like a person, _a kid_ , that hadn't slept in a week.

Muhyo usually slept really well, but somehow... when Rouji wasn't around... it didn't feel like he was asleep at all. "Stupid Rouji. Hurry up and come back to me, idiot."

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

"Kusanoji-san?"

The teacher called Rouji and he snapped back from his wandering thought to look at her, honestly surprised, just recalling that _that_ was his current name, and that he was in the middle of the class lesson then. "Yes?" He smiled, covering his reaction quickly, trying to give an impression that he was listening to her explanation instead of looking out of the window and daydreaming.

It didn't look like the teacher bought it, though.

"Can you try solving the problem in the white board?" The math teacher, Raika Setsuko, asked him with a painfully fake smile, probably trying to be polite even though she was annoyed that he didn't pay attention to her at all.

Rouji winced slightly at his rude behavior but he followed through with his initial plan, stood up and nodded at her. He unhurriedly walked toward the front of the class while his new classmates stared at him with rapt attention.

Rouji tried not to be too self-conscious with all the eyes of the girls when he looked at the math problem on the white board.

It was algebra in trigonometry. It wasn't that difficult or advanced. With Rouji's daily training in calculating as he planned his Super Fab Tech, he dealt a lot with laws of physic and numbers. Understanding how to solve it immediately, Rouji took the marker and started to write down his answer.

Five minutes later. He was done with it and looked at his teacher while putting down the marker. "Is this alright?"

Raika stared at him with wide, disbelieving, sparkling eyes. "Amazing!" She shouted suddenly, excitedly, surprising Rouji. "This work is perfect!" She pushed up her glasses and squealed at him then, and Rouji blinked in revelation as his new classmates instantly whooped and applauded enthusiastically.

"That's a wonderful job, Kusanoji-san!"

"So pretty and smart!"

"No wonder Shijo-san immediately claimed her to be her number two!"

 _Wait, what?_ —Rouji was bewildered at that last shouted line. _What in the world does she mean by 'claimed'?_

"This is a college level math problem, Kusanoji-san. It was exceptionally unusual for a high school student to solve it. It seems your understanding in math is far more advanced than your fellow third year students'." Raika patted his shoulder, probably because he was much taller than her, so she could only reach his shoulder instead of his head.

"Oh, r-really? I just implemented the formula that I had studied before. I am just lucky that I remembered it." Rouji chuckled awkwardly, but somehow regally despite his embarrassment, which somehow made his fellow students squeal even more and call him _adorable_ and _cute_ , instead of being put off.

Rouji's sweat dropped. It was actually inconvenient to be so eye-catching (even though he didn't know the reason why). He was supposes to lay low so as not to attract too much attention to himself so he could gather information more discreetly, but somewhat he was already famous when he stepped into the class that morning.

It might have something to do with Shijo entering the building with one of his arms in her embrace ( _again_ , despite his obvious reluctant. It was hard to say no when she was so… weirdly authoritative). All the students seemed to be looking at him with very fascinated eyes after that. Even the teachers seemed to be paying more attention to him in class.

From what he knew after asking one of his classmates, Shijo Corporation was the biggest patron of St. Patricia Senior High School, so Shijo Yukari's status was like celebrity, the queen, of the students and teachers. Luckily she wasn't in the same class as Rouji, so he could breathe a little easier in his class.

At the recess time, Rouji was immediately crowded by his curious classmate. He was asked about who he was or whose daughter he was. Then how he could get to know Shijo Yukari and what his relationship with her was. The last question was accompanied by hysteric giggles from his classmates, which he immediately dubbed as a joke to the new student.

"No wonder you're instantly famous, Kusanoji-san. Shijo Yukari seems to take a liking to you. She is the most powerful student in this school. Even some teachers are afraid of her 'parents'." The air apostrophe was clear enough to show him what she thought about that fact, much more with the eye roll and the laugh after that. The one speaking was Hana Akizuki, a girl with Chesnutt colored hair tied in intricate ponytail, and with dark chocolate eyes.

"Yeah, Shijo-senpai is often at odds with other students, but many of them are too afraid of her parents to do something about it," another girl, Wada Kanae, a girl with dark blue eyes, added, sounding and looking rueful as she played with her black curly hair.

"What's that, Kanae? Aren't you one of Shijo-san's follower," another one, Kunimiya Yukiko, a girl with auburn colored hair and violet eyes, asked with a teasing tone, and Kanae pouted at her.

"I just don't want to cross her. My dad works for her dad, you know." She deadpanned at Yukiko and the latter giggled at that.

Rouji's sweat dropped watching their interaction. Now he understood why he felt so uneasy when Shijo had an interest in his person. She probably thought she could make him her follower. Of course he didn't intend to humor that. But judging from his classmates' opinion on Shijo Yukari's power at school, it didn't seem wise to cross her either even if he wasn't afraid of her or her parents. He had nothing to do with her anyway.

 _Though, Shijo-san seems to know a lot of things about this school. And her reaction when she was about to open Principal Akanari's daughter room… also her pale face when I mentioned about Haruna-san's 'in trance' condition…_

"So, Kusanoji-san," Kanae now looked at him with twinkling eyes. "What's your hobby? You are very smart, so you probably like studying and reading, but what about other hobbies, ones that involve moving your body? Horse riding? Sport? You are so tall and pretty, you could be a model!" She squealed and her friends followed her lead and squealed some more in enthusiastic manner.

More beads of sweat rolled down Rouji's cheek. _Are girls really this noisy?_ —He couldn't recall Nana or Judge Imai being so… annoyingly noisy. They already conjectured some of the answers before he could clarified their own questions. He'd better answer as clearly so they wouldn't gossip about him.

"I like cooking, if that counts as a hobby. I do sport sometimes, but only to keep me healthy. And I've never been a model on any painting or on magazine. I like reading too, but mostly Jabin." Rouji smiled sincerely and the girls stared at him with wide eyes.

"Oh my god, she's so _pure_!" Kanae actually cried while the other two swooned.

"Yamato Nadeshiko!"

"That reads manga!"

Then they laughed again in hard giggles. Rouji laughed with them, but he had no idea if he was being sincerely praised or being sarcastically insulted. Either seemed possible with them.

"I also like things that have to do with supernatural and mystery," Rouji added, trying to make good of his opportunity to gather information about the haunting that happened in St. Patricia.

At the mention of those things, the trio went rigid immediately. Their smile gradually disappeared as Rouji continued.

"I gather horror stories from town to town. What fascinates me most is the story of seven ghost stories at school. Does this school have something like that too?" Rouji looked at the three from under his eyelashes, getting excited as he noticed they look at each other rather uncomfortably.

"There was… actually none of such story at our school…" Yukiko answered slowly.

"That was, until three months ago," Akizuki finished, and the three girls visibly shuddered at that.

"What happened three months ago?" Rouji asked, paying much attention to them, urging them to tell him the story. The three looked at each other again, frowning, seeming to get even more uncomfortable and a little bit scared.

"Someone died three months ago," Kanae finally said, the other two gasping in appalled look.

"Kanae!" Yukiko warned but Kanae shook her head.

"Kusanoji-san deserves to know. She's this school student too," Kanae argued and both Yukiko and Akizuki looked contrite, but went quiet then, seeming to be unable to debate that logic.

"There was this… quiet girl in class 3C. Her name was Akanari Momo," Kanae started to tell the story and Rouji gave her his full attention.

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

Muhyo was a few meters away from St. Patricia school gate. It was closed of course, and some very conspicuous people with cameras—clearly journalists, even some reporters with small TV crews, were crowding in front of the gate.

 _As expected of the media world. Even with clear capital NO cooperation from the school they still tirelessly work to gain more information._

Muhyo shook his head as soon as he arrived in front of the gate behind the crowding paparazzi. There was no way he could sneak inside the gate with those people around.

Muhyo stared at the gate, and then at the school building visible from the top.

Despite the elegance of the classic building, below the gray colored sky of winter season, the school looked old and strangely eerie.

Muhyo smirked slightly. Even from outside the gate, he could feel strong presence of spirit surrounding the entire site of the school. The investigation would proceed infinitely faster if he was inside the haunting site. He could activate one of his Magic Law Spells and summon one of his adversaries, like _Spirit Striker_ (1), to search the spirit responsible.

However, the purpose of the investigation this time was not to remove the spirit. It was to identify them, which was irresponsibly ridiculous. It didn't matter though, because in the end Muhyo still had to pass judgment and execute them according to their crime.

"Now, how to enter the site without getting caught by the security and those vultures?" Muhyo mumbled while looking right and left, and then upward.

The gate was too high and there was security camera at the corner of the gate. Even people with normal stature would have difficulty in climbing up there, much more so for Muhyo. Besides, with those crowds in front of the gate, it was out of the options anyway. He had to look for another _less visible_ way to get inside.

Muhyo turned right and walked along the high wall of rose bushes inside barbed stainless steel which surrounded the school.

 _Talk about over protection._

Muhyo smirked again, half wondering if the school had been actually a prison once. The rose was a nice touch, but it didn't change the fact that this school practically imprisoned their students, subtle as it might be.

Muhyo almost missed his opening, but was saved by a student coming through the barbed bushes just in front of him. He blinked as the girl straightened and patted her slightly rumpled uniform back to decent neatness before she walked away. Apparently sneaking out of the school in broad day light was possible despite the security measure.

 _Well, not everyone in this school is a lady after all._

Muhyo shrugged after the girl turned at the junction and left his sight. He turned to the part of barbed rose bushes that didn't seem to have barbed wires around them.

He was lucky indeed.

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

Rouji was trying to hide away from Shijo. Well, he was practically running away from her, not wanting to indulge in her strange interest in him. Luckily, when Shijo had been looking for him, he had already done hearing the story about the girl that died in the school biology lab, Akanari Momo. It was said that she committed suicide.

No one knew the reason. She only left a note, typed in her PDA which was found in her room, away from her body, saying she was sorry. People speculated about the 'why' and 'how' no one noticed the tragedy even though the school security should have been perfect. All the security personnel swore they didn't see a thing when they patrolled the building at night.

It was also investigated by the authorities, even. But her death was finally ruled as a suicide because of the note, and her quiet gloomy nature. Even her mother, despite her initial denial, admitted that she was clinically depressed for a while, especially after the death of her father.

For a few weeks the school, especially Principal Akanari, mourned her death.

Rouji frowned, feeling rather sad but mostly confused. Akanari Momo chose to die, which was a great crime by itself, but then... Why did her spirit linger in this world? If she chose death over life, why did she stay _here_? She obviously didn't have any more business in this side if she wanted to die, right? It didn't make any sense at all.

 _But what if... What if she didn't commit suicide? What if she lingered because something bad happened to her and she had regrets?_

Rouji bit his lower lip as he stood in the empty classroom at the third floor of the west wing of the school building, looking outside the window. From his spot, he could see the backyard of the school. The yard was quite gorgeous, with lots and lots of flowers in various species and colors. Strangely, despite the cold season, the flowers were in full bloom. The gardener must have been professional because the flower beds were constructed to look like waterfall if they were seen from upward.

As Rouji was gradually relaxed while he was enjoying the scene, he almost missed the black head running through and around the flower beds.

 _Huh?_ —Rouji narrowed his eyes and grabbed the windowsill to look more closely at the running… _child_? The boy—wearing dark winter mantle and red knee-length pants, was chased after by a security guard.

"Wait!" The security guard, in close look was actually Hayashida, shouted at the child who only glanced back slightly at his pursuer and scowled, still running quite fast with his questionably short legs. The black haired kid then brought out something from inside his mantle and Rouji instantly recognized the big black leather-bound book with Magic Law symbol on its cover anywhere.

"Muhyo?!"

Rouji almost fell down from the window upon noticing the identity of the boy.

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

Muhyo was seriously considering using his Emergency Magic Law 'Anesthetic Needles' to his pursuer because the security guard was so annoyingly persistent.

Well, it was Muhyo's own fault that the guard noticed him in the first place. He didn't think that the tall, muscular man would be patrolling the backyard for one, and he made a mistake in not concealing his presence at all as he walked over the flower garden.

 _But seriously, who needs a maze of flower garden in school anyway?_ —Muhyo grunted, having a hard time maintaining his speed and breath with his limited stamina. He was admittedly not athletic unlike his sturdy assistant. Though he could move very fast, his physical fitness wouldn't allow him to do that for a long period of time.

Muhyo was already getting his Magic Law book out of his coat when he heard the distant shout of his name. He turned to the source of the voice which was slightly upward at the building direction.

Muhyo blinked once as he noticed a pretty gaping brunet looking at him from the window. He narrowed his eyes and recognized the shocked face as Rouji's immediately despite the blazer-one piece dress uniform, the neat-down blond hair and the flowing ribbons adorning it.

Muhyo didn't have spare breath to call him back with how fast he was running. He saw the way Rouji's mouth moving, yelling something else at him, but he couldn't make out his words before the idiot actually climbed on the windowsill.

Muhyo widened his eyes, quite shocked, when Rouji suddenly jumped out from the freaking third floor. "That idiot!"

Muhyo dashed faster—quite surprised himself actually, that he still had the energy to do it— now to Rouji's possible landing spot, uncaring about his still relentless pursuer. He didn't want to admit it, but his heart sank at the thought that Rouji might have been hurt. He was more pissed off though. There was no reason for his assistant to hurt himself over something so stupid like getting to Muhyo faster. Muhyo was _not_ in any danger after all.

When Muhyo finally got out of the maze garden, he slowed down a little, noticing that Rouji was already up and running toward him. He didn't seem to get hurt in any part of his body.

"Muhyo!" Rouji called loudly, and his expression was…

 _Wait, is he crying?_ —Muhyo thought rather ridiculously as Rouji was getting nearer by the second, and before he could say anything back to him, the older boy already jumped forward and hugged him.

Muhyo almost choked at how tight Rouji hugged him. "No way, Muhyo! Why are you even here?" He asked, rather enthusiastically, still with his amazingly adorable teary eyes.

"Let go, idiot! You're choking me!" Muhyo scolded in undertone, but it didn't deter his heartbeat from increasing in speed and loudness and it had nothing to do with his running earlier. Also, his face felt hotter and he refused to even think that he might have been blushing as Rouji nuzzled his cheek.

"Oh! Sorry," Rouji loosened his hold on Muhyo's smaller body slowly and then chuckled sheepishly as he looked at Muhyo's still warmer than usual face.

Muhyo scowled deeply to hide his embarrassment. "Seriously, why are you even crying?" He huffed, not understanding the reason for Rouji to be in tears at all. Was he hurt after all? He did jump out of the window from the third floor.

"Eh? This is happy tears! I'm happy to see your face." Rouji laughed slightly then, wiping the remnant of the tears from the corner of his eyes with the back of his index finger. "It's not a day yet, but for some reason, I miss your face and presence," he continued and Muhyo widened his eyes slightly while his heart skipped a beat hearing it.

 _Seriously, this guy…!_ —Muhyo face-palmed inwardly, while in reality he rested his forehead on Rouji's chest.

At this rate, Muhyo would develop heart condition. Rouji had no clue at all about how his words could be taken. Of course Muhyo perfectly knew that Rouji didn't mean his words to be remotely romantic, but anyone who didn't know the context of his relationship with Muhyo would definitely interpret it _that way_.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Muhyo? You're being unusually silent," Rouji asked softly, moving his hand on Muhyo's head and stroked his hair lightly.

"Your oblivious nature is annoying," Muhyo huffed, looking upward at Rouji who only blinked at him with question mark on his face. Muhyo wanted to be annoyed longer, but the befuddled expression in Rouji's face was kind of cute, so he snorted instead. "Never mind. Anyway, let's move. I was being chased—"

"Hey, you!"

The hard, irritated voice from behind Muhyo made him wince.

"Shoot. He's here already," Muhyo clicked his tongue and once again grabbed his Magic Law book inside the large pocket of his black coat.

"Wait, Muhyo. You can't use Magic Law on living human." Rouji touched his hand, his expression concerned.

"Emergency Magic Law," Muhyo whispered back, looking upward at his assistant's face which somehow was already so close to his own without him noticing.

"But there's no emergency in our work-related nature right now," Rouji said again, not releasing his hand from Muhyo.

Rouji was right, though. Unlike the emergency they dealt in 'Rie and Taeko' case, there was no spirit in site right now. No one was in life threatening situation. There was only one very pissed off security guard and he would kick Muhyo out of the school ground unless they did something about it… fast.

"This school ground is forbidden for anyone that isn't the school student or staff to enter," the school guard said, still panting slightly. He sounded strict and heated.

 _If it wasn't, I wouldn't sneak in, would I?—_ Muhyo wanted to retort, but thought the better of it and considered what to do to _not_ make the dark haired guard angrier.

"What should we do, Muhyo?" Rouji bit his lips, sounding slightly panicked, probably worrying about his cover and the imminent blow.

Muhyo quickly got an idea, but he didn't like it. _Well, either this or the worse alternative_ —he shrugged slightly.

"Follow my lead," Muhyo whispered again, into Rouji's ear now. Muhyo blinked slightly as he felt Rouji shudder lightly in reaction.

 _Huh_.

Muhyo filed that in the back of his mind before he started to speak up, "I am sorry, Mister, but I really want to see my sister," without turning back his body. Instead, he drowned his face once again on Rouji's stuffed chest.

That silicon bra was really something. It did felt like Muhyo was nuzzling a girl's breast.

"Sister?" the guard sounded surprised, but a tinge of suspicion was still heard from his tone.

"Y-yes! He's Muhyo, my little brother!" Rouji immediately followed up Muhyo's lead and embraced Muhyo's body once again.

It wasn't less tight than the previous one. But now Muhyo had an excuse to enjoy being held by Rouji. It was for their cover story after all.

"You don't look alike," the man seemed skeptical still and Muhyo secretly scowled again.

 _Persistent and exceedingly annoying, indeed._

"T-that's because…!" Rouji stuttered slightly, his hand trembling while holding onto Muhyo more tightly than before, like he didn't want to let go of him ever again.

"It can't be helped if we're not alike. We have different mother," Muhyo turned his face aside, glancing at the guard while frowning his face.

"Doesn't matter. You still don't have permission to be on the school ground," the guard crossed his arms in front of his chest, frowning as well.

"I just wanted to see her… I missed her so much," Muhyo muttered with small volume, feigning sad face and tone, while getting increasingly irritated that the guard was a hard shell to crack.

"Muhyo…!"

And for some reason, the one who was moved by his words was his assistant instead.

Rouji sniffled and slowly loosened his hold on Muhyo before he looked at him with teary eyes again, smiling emotionally. "I really missed you too," he whispered, his expression an epitome of sincerity, before he leaned into Muhyo's face and rested his forehead on his.

Muhyo froze for a moment at the intimate contact before he melted and closed his eyes, reveling in the warmth and comfort of Rouji's presence.

 _Oh, damn it to hell and back…!_ —It was impossible to think of his feeling for his assistant as something else.

Attachment, sure, but it didn't explain the bubble of contentment and happiness whenever Muhyo was in such close proximity with Rouji. Even in this ridiculous situation, when they were lying about who they were, it felt like everything would be alright as long as they were together.

How could Muhyo deny this feeling any longer when being away from Rouji only for one measly day made his world so empty?

 **End of Haunting 2**

 **Tbc…**

* * *

 **Additional Note:**

(1) **Magic Law—Spirit Striker** : reference in manga chapter 11 "Prelude", or in anime episode 4 "Omen", one of Muhyo's Hell Adversaries. It can find spirit and attack it to destroy the source of spirit infestation or infection, particularly spirit that has hidden main body use infection or infestation to gather their prey.

 **A/N:** Hooo boy, it took me long enough to update this story. Sorry about that. As usual, real life and works are eating my hours of life *lol*. So, how is it? Too many OCs? Well, they aren't important OCs anyway. Fluffy enough at the end at least? There's more to come, no worries *grin* Of course I still want your feedback, guys! Go hit that comment button. I will be waiting!


	3. Haunting 3

**A/N:** Ahem. Sorry for the _very_ long wait. Yea, real life sucks when what you wanna do is keep writing fan fic. Anyway, here's chapter 3. Enjoy!

 **Warning:** There's a bit violence and threats of bodily harm in here, but for good humor in anime-ish style, so everything is just fine, no one is permanently harmed in anyway. But if it's a trigger for you, please refrained from reading the violent part.

* * *

 **Haunted**

 **© lunaryu~**

 **Haunting 3:** _ **Discussion and Tracking Down**_

* * *

"So… what's with this situation?" Principal Akanari asked Hayashida while Rouji and Muhyo were seated on a sofa inside the principal room at the right side of the principal desk.

Rouji looked infinitely uncomfortable and worried, playing with the hem of his uniform skirt and fidgeting, while Muhyo presented his most bored look that he could muster.

"I found this boy wandering around school ground. Kusanoji-sama said that he was her brother, but they don't look alike. Besides, even though they are indeed related, the boy still has no permission to be inside on the school ground," Hayashida clarified, his expression hard and strict.

Akanari sighed. "Hayashida-san, do you know whom their father is? Never mind, don't answer that. I don't think you will understand how important their father is for this school anyway. So, let's just do this. I give my permission for this boy to be here. He's an important guest for this school. But just make sure that no one knows about this incident, especially the paparazzi outside the school," she said with no-nonsense tone and Hayashida affirmed the order. "And give Muhyo-kun a guest pass to be in school. Let him walk around as he pleases as long as Kusano…ji-san accompanies him," she continued and Hayashida took something from the pouch that clung on his waist and gave the guest pass to Muhyo.

Muhyo silently accepted the pass and put it on around his neck despite feeling that he looked silly with it. Rouji smiled at him and helped him smooth the collar line so the blue colored band would be hidden behind his cloak collar. Muhyo muttered 'thanks' lightly, still unable to look at Rouji in the eye after he tentatively admitted to himself that he might have harbored feelings( _ugh_ ) toward his assistant.

After that, Hayashida was dismissed and Rouji sighed in relief. "Thank god. Thank you for saving our cover, Principal Akanari," he said, looking gratefully at the woman that sat behind her desk.

"You're welcome. But really, it's not even a day yet, Rouji-kun, Muhyo-kun, and you almost blew your cover," she looked at Rouji with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, well…" Rouji chuckled sheepishly, scratching his cheek with his index finger.

"It will be faster to get rid of the spirit if I am in the haunting site," Muhyo said, not making an excuse about his slightly poor decision to sneak into the school. He completely believed that he was in the right. Though, he could have done it more… discreetly.

"That's not my request, though. I only want to know the spirit's identity," Akanari said and Muhyo scowled.

"That is _not_ in my job description," Muhyo narrowed his gaze.

"It's my job to gather that information!" Rouji cut suddenly, before Muhyo could protest further about how he did his work. "Muhyo… Muhyo is an executor, so his job is to send that spirit to the realm they deserve according to their crime. I understand that you might want the spirit to stay here in this world if they really were your daughter's, but that is not… _healthy_ for both the living and the dead ones. If the dead linger too long in the living realm, they can infect this realm and may become evil spirits that endanger living humans."

Principal Akanari thinned her lips, seeming about to argue, but before she opened his mouth, Muhyo added to Rouji's explanation. "It is a _crime_ for a spirit to linger in this world. It is better to send them away before their crime becomes too much to cleanse. The longer spirits linger, the heavier their crime will be. A punishment for a spirit with heavy crime is Hell, and Hell is not a nice place to stay, believe me." He wasn't threatening. It was a fact and people didn't seem to understand the repercussion of committing crime these days.

Akanari looked at Muhyo with pained look for a moment before she sighed. "I guess… You know more about this supernatural and spirit stuffs, so you might be right, but as a mother, I will protect my daughter. No matter if she's alive or dead." She narrowed her eyes at Muhyo.

Muhyo also narrowed his eyes back at her and Rouji looked at them back and forth with worried expression. "Um," He cleared his throat. "M-maybe we should… continue our investigation about the haunting before we decide what to do after we know the identity of the spirit?" He seemed to try to be a middle man, and despite Muhyo's annoyance for distracting him, seeing how uneasy Rouji was made him want to comfort him.

 _Why does my mind become so mushy if that idiot is involved?_ —Muhyo's left eye twitched, irritating him even more that he couldn't help feeling that way.

"Alright," Akanari said, pulling back her slight aggression with a neutral expression before she looked at Rouji and gave him a small smile. "I appreciate your help, Rouji-kun," she continued, looking and sounding calmer.

Muhyo huffed seeing her mellowed reaction toward his assistant. It seemed that Rouji's charm worked for not only girls around his age, but also women in general. He wouldn't be surprised if there were little girls fawning all over him if he worked around them, or kindergarten teachers, or middle aged women, or much-much older women fussing all over him if he was a care-taker.

Muhyo involuntarily recalled the way Judge Imai looked at Rouji sometimes, when they had chances of seeing each other whenever both Muhyo and Rouji had business in MLA. Imai was famous for her cool, collected, masculine personality to her superiors, other judges and her subordinates and yet, when she was around Rouji, she became much shier and more feminine, almost flustered at times.

Even the most rationale mind had no chance against Rouji's kindness and charm. Muhyo clicked his tongue inwardly, partly sympathetic of Imai's struggle, since of course, Rouji didn't seem to notice her attraction and kept treating her only with respect and admiration, like others treated her.

"Muhyo."

Muhyo almost jumped when Rouji's face was suddenly much, _much_ closer in front of him. "What?" Luckily, he quickly covered his surprise with a blink before he pulled back a few inches to look back into Rouji's warm, amber eyes.

"You okay? You're spacing out," Rouji's eyebrows dipped slightly, showing concern and worry.

Muhyo couldn't help feeling lost in Rouji's almost glowing eyes. They were… _strange_ color to have. Not a bad strange, per se, but not exactly normal either. But in Muhyo's daily life which always dealt with supernatural beings, normal was overrated anyway.

Muhyo wondered why he thought about this _now_. He never cared about this kind of things before…

 _No._ That would be incorrect. Muhyo cared. He just… didn't think he paid enough attention to that feeling. He had always noticed these things about Rouji, he just pushed them aside for other things, other more urgent, life-threatening, work-related things. Now that he had acknowledged his feeling for his assistant, he could take time and appreciate little things about Rouji's physical feature.

Rouji's eyelashes were naturally longer than most people's. Not that Muhyo paid attention to other people's eyelashes, but when Rouji drooped his eyelids slightly, the lashes created shadow below his eyes. It made him look almost pretty.

Rouji's cheeks also had natural blush which was almost always present on his fair skin, just on his cheeks, if he wasn't flustered, but would spread all over his face and neck when he was embarrassed. It kind of… made Rouji's face look… sexy?

Muhyo almost choked as he remembered the way Rouji moaned when he was in pain. It was _pain_ , and he looked and sounded _erotic_ as he moaned. It made Muhyo react weirdly as he tried to cover his indecent thought. It was unbecoming of him.

"Your face is too close!" Muhyo slapped his smaller palm on Rouji's face, right on his nose and it was quite a loud smack that it must have been painful. Muhyo didn't regret it one bit as Rouji whined at him for the violent treatment to his face since it got him away from Rouji's pretty, pretty face.

 _Stupid Rouji and his stupid adorable face!_ —Muhyo grunted, feeling his own cheek heat slightly as he looked away from Rouji, so his assistant wouldn't notice him freaking out inwardly about his feelings for him.

Unluckily, the way his face turned around to was in direct line of sight of Akanari, who raised both her eyebrows and showed him an amused expression. Muhyo narrowed his eyes at her, challenging her silently to say something about it, but apparently she understood how delicate the situation was and chose to cough on her hand. Her eyes softened as she looked at him and the still complaining Rouji, leading Muhyo to figure out that she was actually a kind and caring woman, despite her misguided belief about protecting her child, _dead_ or _alive_.

"Are we allowed to leave this room and look around inside the building now?" he asked out loud, despite her words to Hayashida before he was dismissed.

"Yes, go on and investigate," she said mildly.

Muhyo grabbed Rouji's sleeve and pulled him to move. "Let's go."

Rouji frowned and pouted slightly as they moved, probably feeling put out that his complaint fell on deaf ears.

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

"Hey, Muhyo," Rouji called from behind the shorter boy as they walked on the deserted hallway because it was still lesson period. Muhyo was silent as he kept moving ahead, not even looking around as he kept his index finger on his chin, seeming to be thinking seriously.

"Muhyo," Rouji called again, but like before, he was ignored and it annoyed him to no end. "Sheesh, Muhyo! I am talking to you!" Rouji speeded up and grabbed Muhyo's shoulder to get his attention.

Muhyo stopped walking and turned his head slightly. Rouji caught his grimacing expression as his eyes landed on Rouji's hand on his shoulder. Rouji felt like his hand was suddenly on fire and immediately released him, feeling slightly hurt at the subtle rejection. "Sorry, did you hurt your shoulder?" But Rouji was also concerned if he had somehow hurt Muhyo unintentionally.

"No," Muhyo turned his head away from him again and it confused Rouji. Why was he acting strange suddenly? Did Rouji do something to offend him?

"Hey—"

"I'm thinking about this case," Muhyo cut in, before Rouji could ask him anything, especially about his odd behavior. "What you know so far, I believe, is not everything about it," he continued, not looking at Rouji at all and it really irritated him. Muhyo always looked at people's eyes when he talked to them. It was his way to establish connection and read people's intention. Muhyo was often standoffish and detached, yes, but he _always_ looked at the people he was talking to.

"What do you suggest we do then? I'm not even a day yet in this school. Give me some time to look around and figure something out," Rouji said, frowning slightly.

"That's what we're doing now," Muhyo resumed his walk.

"You're not even looking around!" Rouji raised his voice and Muhyo shushed him immediately.

"It's lesson time. Be quiet." He didn't even dignify his warning with a glare.

Muhyo didn't even want to look at Rouji's direction.

Rouji stopped walking, suddenly feeling complicated, partly sad and hurt, but mostly confused and frustrated. "Did I do something that make you mad?" he asked, staring at Muhyo's back.

Muhyo paused mid walking before stopping completely. "What are you talking about?" He still didn't look at Rouji's way.

"I don't know. But I do know that you're mad somehow. Please enlighten me. If it's my fault, I will apologize," Rouji said slowly, earnestly. He didn't think that he did something that warranted Muhyo giving him a cold shoulder, but maybe he had crossed some lines that he didn't know existed between him and Muhyo and Muhyo was mad about that. Who knew? He made Muhyo angry in daily basis, mostly about silly things, but never had he made Muhyo angry enough to give him silent treatment, angry enough to make Muhyo not want to see his face.

 _Except now, apparently_ —Rouji felt anxious. He didn't know what he did wrong.

"You've done nothing wrong," Muhyo said, bowing his head slightly, seeming to look at the ground, his shoulder slumping slightly.

"You're not convincing me with the way you don't even want to look at me in the face when we're supposed to be talking _face to face_." Rouji griped some more, feeling even more confused.

Muhyo seemed to contemplate that and finally sighed before he turned around to look at Rouji. His expression was a bit disgruntled, but like he said, he didn't seem to be angry. "I am _not_ angry," he said, clicking his tongue. "Just a bit annoyed at myself for stupid reason." He gritted his teeth, seeming too reluctant to divulge his reason to be so bothered about something.

Rouji blinked before he sighed in relief, believing Muhyo that his strange behavior wasn't because of anger or of something that Rouji did. "What's gotten into you?" He started again, now walking beside Muhyo who also resumed walking.

"Nothing's gotten into me. It's just something stupid," he grunted, releasing his gaze once again from Rouji and looking ahead.

"Something stupid wouldn't bother you this much," Rouji quipped slightly and Muhyo kicked his shin in retaliation as he yelped in pain. "What was that for?!" Rouji protested, tending to his abused leg.

"Don't push it," Muhyo warned and Rouji stuck his tongue out at him like a child and pouted the rest of their way to the biology class, the place where Principal Akanari's daughter—Akanari Momo— committed suicide.

Arriving at the site, Rouji gulped once as he put his hand on the door handle. "I'm opening it," he said to Muhyo and the shorter boy nodded seriously.

Rouji slid the door open and they stepped inside the darkened classroom. The air felt stagnant and heavy around them and despite Rouji sharpening his sixth sense, he didn't feel anything amiss or supernatural inside.

"Can't feel anything supernatural in here," Rouji mumbled as he looked around. The place was dusty despite the modern metallic setting, like it hadn't been cleaned for months.

Maybe it really hadn't been disturbed for months, three months precisely, since Akanari Momo committed suicide inside the room.

"I only felt traces of _reikon_ (1)," Muhyo said from the other side of the room, near the window in the back of the class. He looked upward, squinting his eyes at the platform that protruded from the beam. Rouji came closer and looked at the same spot Muhyo was looking at and he almost missed the cobweb. He gasped slightly as he realized what it was.

"It was the same string I saw last night, when I helped a student that was about to hang herself," he said and Muhyo narrowed his eyes at him sharply before he jumped up and reached for some of the cobweb. He landed gracefully on the floor and caressed the strings of cobweb in his hand with thoughtful look.

"Tell me more about what you saw last night. In _details_."

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

Rouji told Muhyo about how he met the spirit when he saved the girl that was about to commit suicide by hanging. However from his explanation, Muhyo suspected that the girl might have been influenced by the spirit.

"Are you sure it wasn't because of the spirit that she tried to hang herself?" Muhyo asked his opinion and Rouji seemed to hesitate when he answered.

"I thought so too, at first, but…" Rouji frowned deeply, thinking hard. "I had time to think it overnight. When I barged inside the room, the strings of cobweb from the spirit were holding the girl, but at the time, the rope was already on her neck. The girls seemed already in a trance. It looked more like the strings were holding her from dropping into hanging." Rouji then looked at Muhyo with a confused look. "I don't think that the spirit meant her harm. It's the opposite. I think they tried to save her."

Muhyo frowned deeply as he mulled over Rouji's words. Some spirits had attachment to this world. It was their reason to remain in this side of plane. Almost all of them lost their identity, but when the attachment was so strong, sometimes they remembered; things that were important for them, despite unable to communicate it normally.

"Did the spirit say something to you?" Muhyo asked and Rouji shook his head.

"They screamed, lashed out, like they were angry, but… somehow, it felt like they were crying too," Rouji bit his lower lip. "I am not sure because I am not a medium like Nana-chan, who can feel their intention and communicate with them more clearly. Muhyo, I think we have to investigate this case more deeply and thoroughly. I also want to know if they were really Akanari Momo's spirit."

"Of course we will investigate it thoroughly. That's the sole reason why you're wearing a skirt right now, Rouji," Muhyo huffed at his assistant, rolling his eyes slightly as Rouji visibly blushed at the reminder.

"A-also, some of my classmates and my junior said there was unhealthy power dynamic in play before Akanari Momo committed suicide. It was a little hush-hush because one party involved the queen of this school, but rumor said there was conflict between Akanari Momo and Shijo Yukari." Rouji added after his blush lessened.

Muhyo gave him a long suffering sigh. "You couldn't mention that first?"

Rouji shrugged, sweat dropping. "I just remembered."

"Alright. Maybe we should investigate the dorm next. Go back to class, Rouji. I'll be around to look for some more clues. You, try to figure out what conflict was at play before Akanari Momo committed suicide." Muhyo ordered and Rouji nodded readily.

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

 _ **Later at night at the dorm~**_

"Oh, who is that cutie?"

One of the students that had just entered the dining hall asked out loud as she seemed to notice Muhyo sitting alone in the corner of the room.

Muhyo clicked his tongue inwardly. He had tried to be invisible by sitting far in the corner to avoid this exact situation. He sighed as the girl with platinum blond hair approached him.

"Hey sweetie, who are you? Why are you sitting here all alone?" She asked with a smile as she kneeled and stared at Muhyo's eyes from under her pale eyelashes.

As Muhyo was about to answer as boringly as he could, someone else beat him to it.

"Ah, he's with me," Rouji made a quick walk toward the table while balancing a dinner tray on both hands. "He's here for visit," he explained quickly, putting the tray down in front of Muhyo.

"Oh, aren't you the transfer student…? Kusanoji…Rouka-san?" The platinum blond girl recognized him immediately, which made Muhyo frown since apparently every student at school already knew Rouji by face and name in a day. How was that even possible?

"Yes, and this is Muhyo, my beloved little brother," Rouji smiled and gazed lovingly at Muhyo which almost made Muhyo's face heat again, but he averted his eyes from him quickly that he was able to prevent the blush from coming out against his will.

 _Rouji is pretending, right? Why does he look so sincere when he looks at me like that?_ —of course, part of Muhyo's mind couldn't believe it.

"Brother?" the platinum blond blinked before looking at Rouji and Muhyo, probably comparing their looks. "Huh, you don't look alike," she commented, like Hayashida did that noon.

"Well, different mothers," Muhyo huffed, answering when he noticed a bead of sweat on Rouji's cheek. "Since my _sis_ is quite clumsy, I'm a bit worried of how she's doing at school which requires her to have _perfect_ manner," he added, just to tease Rouji, smirking slightly.

"Ah, Muhyo, that's mean!" Rouji protested and pouted at him, while the girl in front of them giggled.

"You are both adorable," she said, smiling mirthfully at Muhyo and Rouji as she shook her head, going by while waving.

Rouji sighed in relief as he sat down at the chair across of Muhyo. "Lying is tiring," he slumped, hiding his face on his arm.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Muhyo asked, eyeing the food as a disguise of staring at Rouji.

"That's for you. I'm just tired. Shijo Yukari is tenacious in chasing me around and I don't even know why," he whined quietly.

Muhyo was irked. Even as a girl Rouji was popular among girls. How annoying.

Muhyo huffed and pulled the plate closer to him in order to dig in. " _Itadakimasu_ ," he said quietly and Rouji looked up from his arm to look at him, smiling softly.

"Enjoy," he said sincerely.

Muhyo made effort to ignore the sudden hard throb in his chest, but he would be damned if he averted his eyes from Rouji again. Especially when he missed him just from a day of separation.

Finishing his food, Muhyo asked, "Any more information?"

"Trying to talk to some more students that's not Shijo's minion," Rouji mushed his hair slightly which earned him a slap with a spoon from Muhyo to stop the hand from messing his 'disguised' hair. Rouji yelped and glared at Muhyo indignantly.

"So, what did you get?" Muhyo just gestured that there were other people in the dining hall and it wouldn't do if Rouji's hair wasn't perfect for Rouka.

"It's difficult to make them voice out their genuine opinion on Shijo. They are too afraid of her power in school to open up," Rouji shook his head, seeming to be frustrated.

"They won't talk about the conflict between Shijo and Akanari Momo?" Muhyo asked.

"As soon as I mentioned Akanari Momo's name, everyone went pale and refused to speak more of the matter." Rouji sighed. "Maybe we should talk to the students that refused to go to school because they claimed they saw a ghost," he proposed the idea and Muhyo thought it was a good one, so he agreed.

"Where are those people?" Muhyo asked.

* * *

 **~ # ~**

* * *

"You want to do what?" Momozuki Kira looked up toward Rouji with an incredulous look.

"Um, I'm wondering if I can be excused from staying at the dorm tonight. I have to take my brother home and there's a family gathering that requires me to attend personally," Rouji made his excuse and Muhyo was silent, standing still behind him, nodding at the right part when Momozuki turned her gaze briefly at him, confirming Rouji's excuse.

"But you've been only staying for one night here," Momozuki looked like she wasn't buying the excuse, so Rouji added.

"I've already got permission from the principal, though."

That perfectly shut Momozuki up and she looked at him with narrowed eyes for few seconds before she turned once again to Muhyo who nodded once more and finally let out a long sigh. "Alright, you may go."

"Then, please excuse us, Momozuki-sensei," Rouji smiled sweetly at her and she smiled back at him, once again mellowed.

Muhyo muttered 'suck-up' on the way out and Rouji huffed at the smaller boy in annoyance while muttering 'common sense' under his breath which earned him a kick to his shin again, much to Rouji's exasperation.

* * *

 **~#~**

* * *

Finally out of the school site, Muhyo and Rouji hurried back to their office-home to make a list of some students that refused to go to school. However, when they opened the door to their basecamp, some people were already there.

"Quit it you—perverted _kappa_!" Nana's loud shout was quickly followed by a sounding hard punch and a body of Himukai Yoichi flying toward the door just as soon as Muhyo opened it.

Instinct going into overdrive, Muhyo quickly jumped side-way to avoid the flying body, while Rouji was shocked into stupefy and unable to dodge in time as the body slammed into him and sent both Rouji and Yoichi tumbling against the wall just outside the office door.

"Ouch~!" Rouji groaned painfully, since apparently he hit the back of his head on the wall. Muhyo looked at him and the body that sprawled on top of him before he turned to glare at Nana who seemed to realize what she had done and quickly ran to the front door to apologize before Muhyo was able to yell at her.

"Oh my God! Sorry! I'm so sorry!" She put both her palms in front of her face, sweating slightly as she was pleading not to get kicked out of the office.

Hearing the sound of high laughter from inside the office, Muhyo just realized that they weren't the only ones there because Bico just got down from the couch, hands in front of her mouth, seeming to try to control her laughter, but obviously failed miserably because her giggles still escaped repeatedly, bead of tears almost falling down her mirthful eyes at the very funny scene in front of her.

Muhyo was about to say _what the fuck—_ when he heard another groan, this time from Yoichi who nursed his head slightly.

"Man, Nana-chan's energetic as always…" Yoichi grumbled as he started to get up, but paused as his right hand touched something soft and yielding and he opened his indigo eyes just to meet the sweetest teary amber eyes he possibly had ever seen, judging from his speechlessness. The person's soft, neck-length greenish blond hair splayed around _her_ and soft brown uniform skirt was hiked slightly around _her_ pale thighs which almost bracketed Yoichis knees between them.

There was an awkward silence before Yoichi seemed to realize that his hand was actually on the person's breast. He blinked twice and then squeezed once, then the person underneath him yelped in a sweet cry and instantly, Yoichi's face turned red, his pupils reshaped into heart-shape, and as usual without shame, he buried his face on the person's breasts while keening.

"Oh my sweet little girl! You are so cute! Go out with me!" Yoichi nuzzled the person's chest happily.

Rouji's eyes widened and—"GYAAAAA!" instantly screeched while blushing in panic as he seemed to finally comprehend what Yoichi was doing to his very male chest.

Muhyo watched the atrocity unfolding in front of him, actually speechless for a beat or two, before he decided that he would kill the perverted _judge_ for touching his assistant inappropriately.

"Oi!" Muhyo sent out dark aura before he jumped and kicked Yoichi from the side to send him and his perverted hands and face flying a second time, this time away from _his_ Rouji.

"ARGH!" This time Yoichi seemed to _actually_ feel the pain from the very hard kick as his other side hit the wall just a few meters from Rouji who immediately scrambled to sit, appropriating his skirt and hugged himself with a very embarrassed look on his face.

Muhyo stood between Yoichi and Rouji, glaring daggers at the black haired man as he moaned in pain, nursing his abused side now. "Holy cow, Muhyo! Did you have to kick me so hard?" Yoichi complained and Muhyo considered strangling the guy for his audacity to complain despite his shameful-bordering into sexual harassment- conduct.

"You perverted bastard. Do you want me to send you to hell after I _kill_ you?" Muhyo grinned sadistically and lifted up his neckwear while advancing on him and Yoichi paled, yelped before he went into _dogeza_ and apologized profusely for making him angry, even though he seemed to be confused of why Muhyo was so offended with his usual perversion.

"Seriously, have your eyes turned into rotten sockets, or what? Fondling _my assistant_ like that…" Muhyo grumbled loudly before turning to Rouji, who was standing up as Nana helped him.

"Huh?" Yoichi looked upward, blinked once as he stared at the _goddess_ who was looking at him warily and at Nana who just said 'Are you alright, Rouji-kun?' with worried look.

" _Rouji?_ " Yoichi tilted his head, looking even more confused.

"Sheesh, give me a break, Yoichi-san! Did you really not recognize me?" Rouji's voice came out from the pink lips of the goddess and Yoichi immediately dropped his jaw as he finally recognize him.

"EEEEEEEEH?!"

Yeah, Yoichi was in so much shock that his spirit almost left his body.

* * *

 **~#~**

* * *

Another chorus of raucous laughter erupted in the forum (Nana dan Bico) as Muhyo continued seething. Rouji pulled off his ribbon-bandana and rustled his own hair to give it natural mess that had become his trademark and Yoichi was still dying because he just fondled Rouji, a _guy_ , and asked him to go out with him.

"But seriously, you look really sweet with the hair and dress, Rouji," Bico was still giggling, trying to dry her tears, and Nana giggled alongside her as she agreed wholeheartedly about Rouji's miracle transformation.

"Pft—Yoichi's face…! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Yeah, they didn't seem about to stop anytime soon and Rouji sighed as he went to the bathroom to change into his daily male clothes.

Muhyo scowled. "It's no longer funny when this guy sexually harassed _my assistant_!" He couldn't seem to stress it out enough of the fact.

"Sheesh, Muhyo, you sound so possessive when you speak like that." Bico said, chuckling.

"Shut up. What are you guys doing here anyway?" Muhyo grumbled again, sending Bico, Nana and the still dying Yoichi a stink eye.

"Aw, come on, Muhyo-san! We talk about this! Friends visit each other for fun!" Nana exclaimed and Muhyo narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm in the middle of a case," Muhyo deadpanned.

"And we're here to help!" Nana quipped, not losing her argumentative prowess. "You seemed rather weird this morning when I came to cook breakfast for you. Since you wouldn't normally talk to me about what's wrong, I contacted Bico-san and Yoichi-san to come to talk to you." She smiled sheepishly. "They're your _childhood_ friends, I think you'll be more comfortable with talking to them or something."

"That's not your business," Muhyo sent her a cold look and she flinched slightly.

"Sheesh, Muhyo, can you please quit intimidating Nana-san?" Rouji came back out with his normal clothes, chiding Muhyo as he seemed to hear the last part of the conversation. Muhyo clicked his tongue and turned his face away from her and Rouji.

Rouji sat beside him then. "Thank you all for coming, by the way," he said in the mean of greeting their friends. "Though I'd be happier if Yoichi-san didn't fondle me earlier."

"Oh, you know Yoichi, he's always turned into a _pervert_ if there're pretty ladies around," Bico dismissed it, but gave another giggle as the short blond girl seemed to remember the scene earlier. "It's annoying most of the times, but it's also entertaining in a way."

"I am definitely not amused, though," Rouji sulked slightly and Bico giggled once more at his reaction while Nana laughed _again_.

"Muhyo-san looks _unamused_ as well," Nana tittered teasingly and Muhyo sent her another warning glare.

"So, do you need help or what?" Bico coughed once before she stopped her laugh and turned to Muhyo with her _business_ -ready look.

"We don't," Muhyo said sharply, but his words were drowned by- "We DO!" Rouji's louder answer and Muhyo clicked his tongue at his assistant at that.

"We're having trouble because the client wants us to look for the identity of the spirit and not to send them to the other side." Rouji explained.

"That's not a job for an executor," Bico blinked. "What's with the client? An occult mania?" She seemed confused.

"No." Rouji shook his head. "The client suspects that the identity of the spirit is her recently deceased daughter," his face turned slightly sad. "Sometimes people just can't let go and they truly hope that their loved ones will still be around even though their mortal bodies are no longer in this world."

Bico softened her eyes. "Rouji is always so kind, huh?"

"Eh, what?" Rouji blinked as he looked at Bico, looking puzzled.

Bico's smile turned up wider. "Nothing," she said, shaking her head once more.

Muhyo huffed as he noticed her sparkling eyes when she looked at Rouji, and couldn't help thinking that his assistant once again earned a girl's interest. Though, Muhyo was quite confident that Bico's interest in Rouji was _pure_ admiration and respect, since she already chose whom the most important person in her life was.

"So, what do you need, Rouji? How can we help in your case?" Bico asked again and Rouji perked as he heard her question.

"There are some people we need to ask some questions to. Since there are quite a number, we will appreciate it if you guys help us speak to them," Rouji said.

Nana perked as she heard it. "How many people? What should we ask them?" She seemed eager to help then.

Rouji nodded in happiness as he saw their friends' readiness to help. He turned at Muhyo and dialed up his hopeful shining eyes at him and Muhyo sighed in matter of seconds, succumbing to his weakness of unable to say no to Rouji's expression.

"Alright then. You guys may help," he said rather reluctantly, but unable to stop the corner of his lips to lift up slightly as Nana, Bico and Rouji cheered. Then Yoichi blinked back from his temporary dead pace after accidentally asking Rouji to date him to reality and saw the cheering party with confused face.

"What's going on?" Yoichi looked dumbfounded.

"Oh, since the perverted kappa is awake, let's discuss the case from the top, shall we?" Muhyo smirked and Yoichi gulped as he seemed to notice the dark aura around Muhyo when he peered at him directly.

"What did I do?" Yoichi lamented slightly while sweat dropping while the other gave him withering looks.

 **End of Haunting 3**

 **Tbc...**

* * *

 **Notes:**

 **1)** _ **Reikon**_ **:** marks of energy left by spirits that touches things directly

 **A/N:** I have no excuse for postponing this chapter for so long. Life simply demands my time more these days… and it's shorter than the previous chapters too… sorry for that. I actually want to make progress on the case, but their interaction is just too cute to pass up! Anyway, next time Enchuu will have some screen time, so… comments? Critiques? Anything is fine. Drop a liner so I may know if you're still interested in reading this.


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